Coward And The Beast
by UnholySquid
Summary: Elsa's a farmhand working as a soldier to keep her family fed during an early winter. It was her last choice for a job and one she'd have never taken if she knew what awaited her on her first outing... as for Anna? Anna's just a beast blinded by beauty.
1. Chapter 1

Leaves were crushed under armored boots as a few dozen soldiers stepped through the underbrush. Most were silent, but some carried on conversations. Fewer still were the ones talking about the current situation, the ones who were afraid. Whispers of the "Half-Beasts" made its way between soldiers who couldn't keep their eyes off the forest around them. One soldier went so far as to keep his weapon unsheathed and at the ready, constantly fidgeting and gasping at the sound of every twig snapped under the feet of the many soldiers. Most were brave and willing to take on the mission assigned to them though and refused to show even the slightest of fear at the rumored "Half-Beasts" that were little more than myth. Few however were cowardly, few feared the myth and few looked ready for a fight at any moment. Still none were so cowardly as to think of running, they would fight with their friends whom they'd trained with and lived with for so long now.

But there was one... one cowardly soldier who thought to abandon them all if the rumors were true.

Her name was Elsa, and she had only been a soldier for two days before being sent on this mission. She'd had no time for training, no time for learning how the squadron fought together, nothing. She was given a spear, a cheap and oversized suit of armor and a dusty bed before being told that her training would begin once the ice melted on the training ground. It was never meant to be however, as only two days later, the day the ice melted and training would begin, her troop had recieved orders to go into the woods east of Arendelle to check for the southern ilse's forces.

Elsa did her best to hide her shaking and put even more effort into hiding the fact that she was growing increasingly tired after walking for so long with such heavy armor. Truthfully the armor wasn't heavy by most standards, which explained why all the men around her seemed to show no effort in walking in it, but Elsa was not only a girl, but a peasant who had only done the most basic of work on her family's farm. She had never needed to weild the axe for chopping wood, or to plough away at the dirt for a new harvest. She milked cows and picked vegetables, something that could indeed increase stamina, but not give her the strength required of what a soldier needed to carry equipment.

It was in her best interest not to show weakness though. As far as her troop was knew, she was a boy, a young boy who may not be old enough to be a soldier, but one that they sympathized with and gave no trouble for it. Her family's harvest had not gone well this year, the cold coming in sooner than anyone expected and ruining much of it. She needed this job, this rank in the military to earn money. Everywhere else was full, no bookshop needed help, no tailor willing to hire an apprentice, and maids in the castle were trained younger than Elsa was. She needed something with decent pay, something quick, something that earned money often enough to send home to her family.

That something came in the form of a knight.

Sir Kristoff was a well known knight. He was a peasant himself once, but had risen through the ranks thanks to his prowess with a blade and commendable leadership. Thanks to his origins, he was sympathatic to the poor and was often seen down in the dirty parts of the city, helping the elderly and working a peasants work, something no normal knight would dare be caught doing. He won the people's hearts and his kindness seemed to know no bounds. Which is exactly why Elsa came to him and begged for him to help her find work. He'd tried getting her jobs, but they were always full or she didn't meet the requirements. He'd offhandly recommended the military and Elsa, being desperate, pounced on the offhanded comment.

Thankfully Kristoff thought she was a boy as she later learned. Wearing a hat and baggy pants and a shirt apparantly just made him think she was a boy a few years too young to be in the army. He had lied about her age when recommending her, though truthfully she was older than even that, but she dared not say anything. Why tell him the truth and risk losing out on a job that had good pay compared to the jobs in town.

Why? So she'd continue living, that's why.

Elsa was frightened to say the least. She didn't show it as much as the others, due to her not wanting anyone to think of her as anything other than a too young for the army, but brave boy ready to do anything for his family. If she showed fear then others would pay attention to her more, and if anyone paid too much attention they might notice her breasts and slim hips, things that no boy should be sporting in the army.

Still... Half-Beasts.

Elsa had heard the tales, stories of men and women who abandoned their kingdoms to live amongst the wild. She heard how they threw away all humanity in a ritual to join the animals they so loved. They'd managed to turn themselves into horrible beasts. She heard tales of their contorted limbs, jaws forced out into the shape of a canine's though the skin did not reach, leaving nothing but a set of teeth and gums. She'd been told that they walk on three legs while their bent arms grabbed onto trees to help propel themselves. She'd heard they were massive, easily crushing a man underneath their foot if they so pleased. Too many rumors focused on their disgusting appearance, very little said much about "Them" in general. Did they move in groups? Do they kill before eating, or just eat while their prey is alive? Do they have their own society out in the woods? They were human at one point after all. There was one thing that was said, that was most important to Elsa though.

They eat humans just as quick as they eat any other animal.

Elsa gulped, doing her best not to jump at the sound of another twig snapping. It was hard to tell the distance with so many people around. She wondered if it came from up close and just echoed around the woods, or if the echo came from further away. She hated this, this fear, this feeling of utter terror and feeling like her life was in danger. Never before had she felt this way. Sure, she'd been scared of fights as a kid or milking the cow for the first time, but this was entirely different. This was mankind's oldest fears put together.

Fear of the unknown and fear for your life.

"It's nice to see you're not participating in this nonsense."

Elsa blinked, eyes moving to the left of her to another soldier. His name escaped her, as did most of their names.

"What?" She questioned, deepening her voice for effect.

The soldier rolled his eyes, assuming she deepened her voice because she didn't want to feel embarrassed about being so young. "This "Half-Beast" nonsense." He said, tilted his head up and looking to her right.

Elsa turned her head to see two of the soldiers practically shaking in their armor, jumping at every little sound and whispering to one another about how they were going to be eaten.

"Oh... it's just a fake tale told by bards to amuse the people." Elsa tried, knowing full well that she herself feared the bards' stories.

"Thank the gods that you understand that. Those two will be like that until we're back home." He chuckled, showing off a yellowing smile.

"Yeah." Elsa added noncomittally, focusing far too much on the sounds of the forest as she forced one foot in front of the other.

"So," The soldier began, deciding that Elsa was good enough to talk to during the journey in the woods. "Henrick said you had a family you needed to take care of. Must be a big family if you joined the army as your first choice."

Elsa didn't bother saying that it wasn't her first choice. "I suppose so. I have my parents and two little brothers to look after. We're farmers." She told him the truth, seeing no reason to lie about that.

"Really? I used to help out on a farm once. Think they were the "Galtea's farm"?" He questioned himself. "That's not your last name is it? I don't remember seeing you, but there were several men there."

Elsa shook her head, causing the the cold armor to touch her cheek and the helment to move roughly across her shoulders, the sound causing the two from before to jump the slightest bit. "No, they're against us when it comes to selling goods though." Of course she knew of the Galtea's, they were one of the bigger farms in Arendelle.

"Oh." He said, adding it in just because. "So what's your farm?"

"Wi-" She stopped, teeth snapping shut. Elsa realized just in the nick of time that the man could possibly recognize her last name. If he worked with farms, its possible he had heard of hers. Most people who did know of her farm, knew that she was the eldest, a girl, and that her brothers were too young to do any of the heavy work. The only conclusion to draw would be that there is no son old enough to be working the farm and therefore...

"Why don't you mind your business?" Elsa said cruelly, not really meaning to, but not knowing what else to do to get him to drop that particular subject.

"What?" He was shocked to say the least. "What's your deal, Larsa?" He asked, somewhat angry, but quite used to conversations going sour.

Larsa. It was the name she'd gone under when joining the military. "Elsa" wasn't exactly very manly.

"Nothing, just keep your business to yourself, and i'll do the same." Elsa told him.

His face twisted into a grimace and his mouth opened to say something.

The only thing to come out however was a final gasp.

Elsa watched as what looked like a branch had lodged itself into his throat. No blood splashed from the wound, but the cough he gave sent several droplets of life essence onto Elsa's shocked face. Elsa, not thinking, let out a cry that was certainly not manly.

"What's going on?!" She heard her captain yell out. Soldiers around her were instantly readying their weapons, while three of them attempted to help the man whose throat was beginning to swell around the branch.

Only it wasn't a branch.

Elsa realized that what looked like a piece of a tree, was actually much too needle shaped to be a twig of any kind. It looked like a giant barb, like an oversized dandelion's seed head.

"It's Jacqouel! He's hurt!" A soldier tending to the man yelled.

Elsa watched as another oversized barb stabbed with deadly accuracy into the man's neck who just spoke. She backed up, turning every which way, trying to figure out where they were coming from. Elsa gripped her spear so hard she was certain she was going to snap the wood that the spearhead was mounted on.

"Oh gods!"

Elsa heard a scream and soon after a roar. She turned, heart slamming into her chest. A massive beast was hurdling towards them, two paws on the ground at a time as the wolf shaped monstrosity slammed its feet into the ground to gain momentum. It was twice their size, hell the thing was as large as a peasants house. Elsa watched in horror as the men tried to ready themselves, but soon it barreled into them, teeth gnashing as it grabbed onto one soldier and crushed him and his armor as though it were nothing. Elsa heard his inhumane wail, that sound of death, a garbled exclamation filled with blood and what little strength was left to give out one last desperate cry for help.

She pulled her spear up, scared, frozen, her body unable to decide between fight and flight. She heard battle cries from the men as they raced over to attack, several of them swearing vengeance upon the beast and damning it to hell. Whatever the creature was, it did not care, it threw the body at the remaining troops, knocking three over and rushing for more. Elsa could see now that it had three rows of sharp teeth and three eyes. Two of its eyes were in the commonplace for a wolf, while the third sat right between the two on its head.

"This is for Riksan you bastard!" A man screamed just before an oversized paw with talons ripped through his armor and split his jaw and chest open, leaving him gargling.

A new sound was heard, a sound akin to the howling of a dog, yet with enough ferocity and venom to it to sound more like a calling of death. It reminded Elsa of stories about werewolves and the like, but she doubted a werewolf would sound so damn large.

That was enough for her.

Elsa bolted, like the coward she was. She was no soldier, no idol to look up to. She was just a farm girl, a peasant who needed money. Distantly she recognized the voice of her captain yelling for "Larsa", but Elsa paid it no heed. She ran, spear in hand, armor clanking and banging together. A vile thought entered her mind, one that almost made her stop and turn back. It was something so unlike her, so horrible. Never would she think herself capable of it, yet it rang throughout her ears and sounded reasonable.

_Please let them slow it down, let them be eaten, not me!_

That's when she began to cry, when she realized that she could think something so terrible about those who were kind to her, those who sympathized with her situation, even though they did not know she was a girl. Still, she wouldn't stop, she couldn't die here. She didn't want to die like this. She didn't want to be torn apart by otherworldly beasts, she wanted to grow old, to have a family of her own, to die surrounded by those she loved, not in some forest where they will eventually find her bloody remains to ship back to her family for burying.

So she ran.

Elsa didn't know how long she ran, but she knew it wasn't long at all. It didn't take long for one of those beasts to find her. Perhaps it was the clanking armor or her hurried breaths. Maybe it was her crying. Perhaps they smelled the piss she'd messed herself with. Who knows? The end result was Elsa stopping in place as another large beast broke into her path, after running from behind her.

Elsa cried, cried harder then she ever had in her life. She backed away slowly, spear dropping to the floor as she knew it was useless against such a foe. She felt that sickening lump in her throat, felt the tears burn and slide down her face. She didn't want to die, she really didn't.

But before her was a another creature, this one seeming wolflike, but in reality, walking on four legs and the body's general shape was all that was in common. The beast had horns, two of them that ran along the side of its head towards the back. Its maw was opened, showing two rows of jagged teeth. While this beast had two eyes, the eyes were slit like a snake or cats, blue-green in color, but no less menacing. It moved forward, mouth opening in a roar, a roar that sent the foul breath of blood to flood Elsa's senses. That's when she realized its fur, while red in nature, was colored a deeper crimson around its mouth.

This one had already had its share of blood, and would likely want more.

Elsa fell to the ground after the roar, looking up in terror as it advanced on her.

"Please..." Elsa begged, not knowing who she was begging to. She didn't know if she was asking the gods for help or if she was actually hoping the beast would listen.

Either way, it seemed her begging had some effect.

The beast, for the first time, made real eye contact with Elsa. She watched as it stopped cold, mouth slowly closing. Elsa was shaking though, feeling like her life was still in danger despite the beasts sudden change in mood. The red furred creature stepped forward slowly, sniffing at the air around Elsa before moving directly to sniffing her. Elsa nearly died right there, or rather passed out. She didn't know what was happening, but she wanted to leave, to live. She sat up off the ground, one hand feeling something cool between its fingers. She looked only with her eyes, not daring to move her head, and saw the spear she'd dropped beneath her left hand. She looked back towards the beast who was still looking at her and sniffing at her like some dog.

Maybe it was stupid, but Elsa's next move was a significant one.

Thinking that the beast, while unnatural, was like other animals, She hoped its brain was in its head and that like everything else on the planet, would die if its brain was damaged heavily. She gripped her spear, watching in horror as the beast noticed her action and let its eyes fall to her hand. She screamed, swinging her left arm up with the spear and aiming for the beast's right eye. Though her aim was true and she hit the head and certainly where the brain would be, she missed the eye. Her strength not enough to pierce through the beasts hard skull and instead only giving it a flesh wound.

The creature roared, one arm instinctively flew out and swiped at her. Its massive paw sent Elsa flying, her cry being cut short when she slammed into a tree, banging her head on the thick oak. She fell to the ground, eyes barely open and head ringing. She tried to move her body with no success. The last things she saw were the red hued paws making their way towards her and a low, menacing growl accompanying them.

"Please..." Elsa begged one last time before passing out.

* * *

A/N: Story was taken down before because of irl drama. I won't bother going into details, its all my fault that the story was taken down and that's that. Story is back though and i couldn't be happier to be writing it again.

Anyway, thanks for viewing =).


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa awoke after a nightmare filled with teeth and blood. The specifics weren't clear, and the dream was fading even quicker when she awoke, but she knew a nightmare when she had one. She turned over in her surprisngly comfortable bed and groaned, her head and leg hurt for some reason. She was sure she must have slept in a bad position. These military beds were not exactly top notch, she'd had better back in her own peasant home. She dared not get up though, it was the first time she'd awoken before someone else woke her up since joining the military, best to enjoy her time off.

Yes, best to get some sleep.

...

"Ahhh!"

Elsa shot up at the sound of someone screaming. Her heart raced as she looked around the dark room. She realized she was not back at the military bunks for soldiers, but rather in what looked to be someone else's room. A room with things she'd never seen before. She saw sets of teeth hanging from the cieling by string, most of which looked to belong to some animal that couldn't possibly exist. The teeth were too large, one of them looking so thick and long that Elsa imagined she couldn't even wrap her hand around it. The floors were covered in animal furs and just general forestry. The walls she could not see very well due to how dark it was, but she was sure she could see decorations aligning them. The one thing that stood out on the wall, was the large mounted head of some creature she'd never seen before. Elsa had very nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of it, scuttling backwards and tossing the animal fur covering her onto the bedding made leaves and grass.

Luckily she realized it was dead already before screaming.

She didn't even know where to begin on trying to categorize a being like that. It was too large to be a bug, but was had several similiar features. The eyes in general looked like that of fly's, and it did have antennae like a bee. Still, it was covered in fur and the mouth was shaped like a canines.

She shivered at the sight of it.

Elsa slowly got up, eyes still watching the head as if it were going to move. As she got up, she felt the dampness between her legs and winced, the smell hitting her soon after, letting her know that she had disgraced herself. It also let her know that her armor was gone, all of it. All she was left with were her slacks and thick shirt for the winter. She reached up and realized that with no helmet, her hair was free to fall down in a long braid, a braid she normally kept within hats or a helmet. It was easier to convince people you were a guy if you hid such long hair. She panicked briefly at the thought of someone finding her like this, but it was shortlived. There was something going on, something worse than someone finding out her gender.

The scream that woke her up told her that.

As if on que, another scream was heard, this one filled with absolute terror. Scared, but needing to know what was happening around her, Elsa crawled across the fur covered floors and towards the only source of light in the room, a slit in what looked like a opening covered by more animal fur. Because of unexplainable fear, Elsa kept looking toward the strange creature head mounted on the wall. Eventually she reached the opening in this hut or whatever she found herself in. She peaked out, noticing torches lit all around what looked to be a small village in the forest at night. Village would be a nice way of putting it. The size was far too small, there being a few huts on the ground and even some built into trees, whether it be through the very oak itself at a base level or some sort of treehouse built higher up. Elsa just so happened to be in what she assumed was one of the treehouse huts. There was a wooden level outside the hut, obviously installed so someone could walk out and sit outside the hut without staring through the doorway.

Elsa didn't dare venture out for a better look, after noticing what she did.

There were several people gathered in the middle of the small village. "People" wasn't the word Elsa would like to use, but what else could she say. They sported animal like features, most possessing claws or tails, bug like eyes or long rabbit like ears. One man she noticed was absolutely massive, looking to be at least eight feet tall and corded in muscle. The problem was that he was not the only one of inhuman size, there were others that were tall, though not as tall as he was. There were some that were small, like a child, yet their features said they were adults. It was a mix, a mix of freaks of nature all gathered together. While size varied, all of them sported something strange that forced you to think of them as something other than human.

And what they did seemed to solidfy this idea.

She watched as a man and woman dragged a naked person, a person she instantly recognized. It was her captain, a beat up and mangled version of the strong man she once knew, a man who welcomed her into his troop once Kristoff came to him and explained her story. He was a rough man, but fair, a kind man, but strong, seeing him like this was almost too much of a reality warp for Elsa.

And to hear him beg for mercy the way he was...

Elsa watched them drag him to a rock that was already covered in blood. Only now did she see several bodies around the rock, all of them split open. The sight was strange for some reason, not the fact of what she was seeing, but rather there was something strange about the bodies. Elsa felt herself back away from the curtain of furs, scared to see what was going to happen. She covered her mouth as her breathing got heavier, scared that these people would hear her breathing and come for her next. She heard the captain beg several more times before giving up and beginning to curse them, asking his gods to deliver upon them justice in the form of a brutal death.

Elsa peaked back out, perhaps gaining some courage from her captains words.

"Damn you all, monstrous creatures! You will all burn in hell! There is no other way for you to go after this! Damned fiends!" He cursed all the way until they dragged him to the rock, each one taking an arm and holding him against it, making sure he stood upright.

A man appeared then, this one only a foot shorter than the massive man from before. Elsa saw he had wound in the middle of his forehead, a long gash, but it was nothing special considering he had many wounds over his body. His attire left little to the imagination, a simple fur kilt of some kind and nothing else besides a necklace of teeth for decoration. He stalked towards the captain, long and hairy ears flopping against his shoulder as he made progress towards his destination. Elsa noticed his tail as well, long and black, furred like a wolf, but too thick to be one. His right hand was bloody as he reached up to press a clawed finger against the captain's throat. Elsa watched his final moments, watched as her captain spit in his face and damned him. She watched as the beast of a man not care and instead dig his claw into the chest of her captain before slashing downward, leaving a long slit from his chest to his belly. Her captain garbled, choked on his own blood and died what Elsa was sure an agonizing and cruel death surrounded by his enemies and next to the bodies of his dead soldiers.

Before her captain was even dead, the man reached inside his wound, ran his arm up and ripped out the captain's still beating heart. That was when all of the beast like people around them cheered, loud animal noises of howls, growls, hissing and even buzzing. The man, the one she assumed was the leader due to his role in this horribly cruel act, bit into the heart after a mighty howl of his own. It was after that was over did the others begin to act. Others ran forward to the body, all of them digging in and finding whatever organ they could and tearing their teeth into it. The only solace to be found in watching this was the fact that she couldn't hear the squish of organs between teeth due to everyones excited growling.

Elsa backed away from the entrance, hand still over her mouth as she tried to calm her breathing down. It didn't work, and to add even more misery to the situation she felt herself begin to vomit. While most found its way back down her throat with an acidic burn, some watery vile managed to slip past her lips and between her fingers. It was disgusting, it was horrible, it was as cruel an act in nature as you could find. Now she realized why the bodies seemed strange earlier, all of them had been cleaned out, organs eaten and bones picked apart, leaving nothing but a husk of skin.

What sort of people could do that to another person?

"Mmm." Something growled lowly.

Elsa froze, slowly turning around at the sound of something shifting behind her. She felt like crying again as she realized that her dreams were not really dreams and in fact she and her troop had been attacked by beasts.

Because of the dim light entering the room, the only thing Elsa could make out was the shape of something in the corner, the very corner that is next to the bed of leaves she was sleeping on earlier. She realized that whatever it was had been here the entire time. Whatever it was had been next to her while she was sleeping, watching her, waiting for her to wake up. Elsa felt her eyes getting hot as she realized this could be another person just waiting to drag her out and place her against that rock.

"Mmm." Another growl, though this one sounding more human, like a low mumble.

Elsa almost thought to run outside, but what was waiting out there was far worse than whatever could be in here. Surely it was another person, another of these beast-like people. These people that were-

Half-Beasts...

The legends were true. Who else could these people be. They were human, but not human, beast but not beast. They were not as hideous as the stories made them out to be, but certainly as vicious. Elsa didn't know what to do, either run outside and try to escape what could have been twenty or so people, or stay and try and deal with the one she was sure was hiding away in the corner watching her. Perhaps she could plead for her life, surely they have some humanity left in there somewhere.

"H-hello?" Elsa tried, not at all ready for what was waiting for her.

She jumped when the darkness shifted, the outline of a person's body becoming more clear as they moved a bit closer toward the light, though they were still sitting on the floor.

"I...Please don't hurt me." Elsa begged. "I have a family, a family that needs me back home." It was the truth.

"Eee... Ooo.. Urrrr... Eeee" More sounds came from the dark, now sounding much more feminine and less animlistic.

For some reason, realizing that it was a girl made Elsa feel somewhat better. Surely a girl would listen to reason and let her go.

"Please, let me go home. I won't tell anyone about this, I will-"

Elsa choked on her words when a face finally formed from the darkness. Her assumption that the voice was feminine was right, however she hadn't accounted for just what her "roommate" looked like. She had red hair, maybe orange, some shade between. She looked young, most likely younger than Elsa herself was, and her skin was tanner than Elsa's, likely having seen the sun more. Those features were normal and nothing to have a heart attack over. However the horns coming from her head and the slit eyes did well enough in scaring poor Elsa. The girl had her mouth open, in the middle of another sound, showing off her rows of sharp teeth. She moved out far enough to show that on her back were tendrils colored the same as her skin, waving about in the air around her as if they had a mind of their own.

Elsa backed away, not daring to scream. Still, backing away so far that her head went through the curtain until she was outside was not very smart. The girl was making more sounds in the tent, these ones sounding louder and more urgent. Elsa found out it was for good reason when she turned and noticed she was outside the hut. Her eyes looked on at the devouring of her captain that was still going on. The monsters were too busy having their feast to notice Elsa. Still she didn't know whether to go back inside or to try climbing down and making a run for it while they were distracted.

She got her answer in the form of leader of these beasts noticing her.

Elsa watched as he looked up at the sounds coming from the hut and noticed her trying to escape. He grimaced as the wound on the middle of his face began to move. She almost threw up again when she saw the wound open, revealing a third eye. The thought to curse went through Elsa's mind, but that wouldn't really accomplish much. Instead she scrambled backwards when she noticed he was making his way towards the tree's built in ladder, huge grooves carved into the wood to use as ladder steps.

Back in the hut, she thought to try hiding, but she stopped herself before she could do something so stupid. She needed her weapon if she was going to survive this. She looked around hopelessly, finding no weapon and not even one piece of her armor. The girl, the one she had forgotten, had moved closer to her while she was distracted. Elsa nearly jumped out of her skin at the feeling of one of those strange tendrils on the girl's back touching the side of her face. She did yelp and back away, pushing herself along the ground until she back into the wall of the tree hut. The girl cocked her head at the side, but didn't make any sudden moves as she slowly moved towards Elsa again, walking on her feet, but crouched down and using her hands to help move along the ground like some sort of ape.

"Oooo." The girl sounded out, another tendril moving towards Elsa's face.

"No!" Elsa responded, head moving away, while her body got ready to push the girl out of the way so she could run.

Surprisingly, the girl's tendril stopped before touching her and backed away. The girl frowned, clearly upset with Elsa's refusal. Elsa wondered if she would attack now and show her true colors as the monster she was.

Slowly, a hand came up instead.

Elsa blinked as the girl touched her face with her palm this time, careful of the sharp, talon like nails at the end of her fingers.

"Oooo." She sounded out yet again.

"Ahhhma!" Something snarled.

The only reason Elsa felt it was 'something' and not 'someone' was because there was no possible way a human could create that sound. She turned fearfully towards the entrance to the hut, seeing the man with the third eye pushing into the hut that was much too small for his huge frame.

Elsa knew this was the end. That massive beast of a man would force his way inside and tear out her heart, just like he did to the captain. He made to lunge at her and growled ferociously and as a final defense, she curled away from him, arms coming up to shield her face and knees folding up to protect her stomach. This was how she would die... cowering in a corner.

Only... she wasn't dead yet.

Elsa opened her eyes, and with sight she realized that he was not the one to growl, but rather her 'roommate'. The girl stood in front of Elsa on her bent knees and hands on the ground, taking up some sort of defense in front of her. The monstrous sound that came out of her mouth and sent chills down Elsa's spine was in protection of her, not a final noise of intimidation from an animal about to end her life. Elsa watched as the man stopped in front of her, looking very displeased.

"Ahhhma..." He growled.

Another fierce growl from the girl, her tendrils on her back waving about wildly. She slammed her fist into the ground of the tree hut before issuing another sharp growl exited her lips. Elsa was sure that she was a monster, that this girl was just like the rest of them. Yet, in that moment, all she wanted was protection from her.

The man locked eyes with Elsa for just a brief moment before he made to lunge at her again, angered it seems by the fact that Elsa dared look him in the eye.

A swipe from the smaller girl was all that was needed to make him back off.

He growled lowly, looking down at his arm that was now cut and bleeding. Elsa briefly wondered what she should do if they break out into a fight. Running away seemed logical, but with all those people outside there was no where for her to go. She considered herself lucky that it didn't turn into that however. The man simply growled, looking the girl in the eyes for a solid five seconds before turning away and exiting the hut. Elsa could hear his claws digging into wood as he descended the tree outside.

Elsa watched as she stood guard for a few more seconds before her tendrils began to calm down. Soon she turned back to Elsa, face full of curiousity as she stepped in closer once more.

"T-thank you." Elsa said, still scared of her, not entirely certain that the girl didn't fight him off just so she could eat Elsa herself.

"Ahhh ooo." The girl tried, grimacing at the sound.

Elsa stared at her for a moment before, "Please, you have to help me get out of here. I can pay you, any money you need and i'll get it for you." It was a lie, Elsa had no money and she knew it. She also wouldn't put paying this girl over her families needs.

"Eeee... oooo.. aaaa..." The girl seemed to be growing increasingly frustrated for some reason.

"What do you want. Just name it and its yours. My family is well off you know." More lies, anything to get this girl's help.

"Aaaa ooo... uuuu..." The girl shook her head, angry now.

Elsa almost thought she was angering the girl, almost thought she was going to kill and eat her now. Surprisingly though, Elsa had an epiphany just before she thought to push the girl down and run.

"You... you can't understand me." Elsa's shoulders deflated at the realization.

"oooo aaa..."

"And you've been trying to mimic me this whole time." Another realization.

"ahhh oooo..."

Elsa sighed and let her head hit the wall behind her as she looked at the girl in front of her. The girl was still trying to mimic Elsa, making the most basic sounds from her mouth that most babies did. This girl however was no baby... Not even human as far as Elsa was concerned.

She was just a monster.

A cruel, manipulative thought entered Elsa's mind at that. For some reason this girl protected Elsa, wanted Elsa to live. There was no telling how far she'd go for this, but it was clearly far when she just watched the girl draw blood from a man far larger than herself just to keep her safe. Elsa could use her, use her to escape. She needed to befriend her, to understand her, to make her realize that she wanted to leave. They would escape together, and afterwards Elsa could just leave her and find her way back home.

She was just a dumb animal right?

"Elsa." She said.

The monster of a girl looked up at her.

"Elsa." She tried again, pointing to herself.

The girl's eyes crinkled in frustration at the sound, knowing she couldn't say it.

"Eh...ah."

"Elsa."

"Ehah."

"Elsa. Its a Sssss sound a ssss" Elsa stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth and hissed.

The girl looked at her blankly for a moment. Elsa panicked, realizing that her hissing sound could be taken as a threat.

The girl laughed.

"Ehah." She laughed some more.

Elsa sighed. "Close enough... now you." Elsa girl just attempted to mimic what she had said. "No... you." Elsa pointed to the girl. "Elsa" She pointed to herself. "You." She pointed to the girl.

A brief moment of the language barrier offering its frustration before the girl seemed to understand.

"Ahhhma." She said.

"Ahma? You mean Anna?" Elsa tried, wondering if she had a normal name like others in the city.

"Ahma."

"Anna." Elsa gave a small smile, liking the idea of messing up the girl's name like she did for Elsa.

The girl let out a heavy breath through her nostrils while her tendrils moved languidly behind her.

"Anna it is."

Anna it was.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I wanted to make this a more weekly upload schedule, but i finished this chapter pretty fast so... well here you go guys =)

. : Thanks for the review, I hope i can keep it up as well. Not much going on in life so I should have time right now, plz look forward to more.

* * *

"Away." Elsa stressed.

Snake-like eyes stared blankly back at her.

"Me." She slapped at her chest with both hands. "Want." She curled her fingers as if wanting desperately to clutch at something. "Away." She threw her hands to her right, trying to signal that she wanted to move, to get away from this place.

The monster, no, 'Anna', said nothing, far too busy staring at Elsa's chest after witnessing the two orbs bounce due to Elsa's impact earlier. Elsa sighed as she leaned back on the bed she awoke in, a bed she now realized must have belonged to Anna. The girl didn't seem interested in it at the moment, so Elsa made herself at home as best she could while she attempted to train Anna to understand her.

"I'm never going to get out of here am I?" Elsa questioned aloud to herself, partially asking the redhead beside her as well.

Anna's mind was a primitive one, and one that had a hard time focusing on anything besides what caught her attention. Right now all she could see was Elsa's chest, those two balls of flesh that were bigger than her own and made her feel funny. Not a bad funny by any means, but a good funny, like when she had some of those blue mushrooms in the forest that were usually saved for special occasions. She'd never felt this way before, the whole experience with this blonde headed girl was completely foreign. She didn't know exactly why she saved her before or why she continued doing so by standing up to her own people, but her mind told her it had something to do with those two mounds of flesh.

Elsa noticed Anna just in time as one of Anna's tendrils began moving closer and closer to her.

"Hey!" Elsa panicked, backing away from Anna, hands curling into fists that she wouldn't have dared use against the girl anyway. Anna was smaller than her, that was for sure, but Elsa wondered if she truly weighed more. Anna wasn't exactly a frail looking girl, her body was nothing but toned muscle, hardly any trace of fat to be seen. It was easy to tell when the girl barely wore anything, her clothes looking to be made from animal skin, and forestry.

Anna snapped out of it, looking up at Elsa's frightened face. She pulled her tendril back, letting it wave slightly behind her. There was a moment of them staring at one another before Anna felt her face getting hotter.

"Oooo. Mmmm." Was all Anna had to say about the matter.

Elsa watched the girl back away towards the entrance to the tent. "Where are you going?" Elsa questioned. Though she was still scared of Anna, she'd much rather have her around just in case some other hostile from this clan of monsters came for her.

"Mmmm." The best answer she was going to get apparently.

Anna exited the hut, the claws on her hands and feet digging into the wood as she descended. Elsa panicked and ran over to the entrance. She poked her head out with as little of herself being shown as she could. She noticed it was getting darker, the sky turning orange. Most of the Half-Beasts seemed to be gone, the bodies from before being cleaned up. The thought was enough to make Elsa sick, but she had something more important to worry about.

Like keeping close to her bodyguard.

Elsa looked over to the ladder built into the tree, seeing Anna had barely begun her descent. She must have stopped when Elsa poked her head out. Elsa quickly scrambled over to her, keeping as low as possible.

"Are you insane?!" She whispered harshly. "Don't leave me alone. They could come for me!"

Anna, not understanding a word, only understood that Elsa must have wanted to come with her. She smiled at the thought, happy that Elsa wanted to be close to her.

"Ehah." Anna said, still unable to pronounce the S properly.

Elsa looked at the hand that was offered to her. It was a rougher looking hand, one that was used to doing work. Elsa did work as well back on the farm, but her hands remained soft looking. She wondered if her work was truly so hard when a girl who looked younger than her had even rougher looking hands. Not that this really mattered, what mattered to Elsa were her claws. For a moment she feared that once she grabbed Anna's hand that Anna would grip hers tightly and sink her claws into flesh. She'd heard somewhere that animals could smell blood from far away. Surely if Anna drew blood, then all of the monsters in the village would come for her. She reminded herself that Anna had touched her earlier and had been surprisingly careful with her claws.

With a deep breath, she reached out and took Anna's hand.

Anna felt a sudden warmth at the touch, her mind telling her to touch Elsa more, to take her back inside where they could be alone. To... to... to do something. She wanted something from Elsa, something she didn't know. She managed to hold back however, remembering how scared Elsa got whenever she tried getting too close to her. Instead she simply guided Elsa to the ladder and made sure she got her placing on it before beginning her own descent, Elsa following slowly behind, scared that she might fall. Once at the bottom, Anna waited for Elsa to finish climbing down. She wondered briefly if it was ok to bring Elsa along where she was going. The thought of Elsa running away went through her mind. It reminded her of a pet she had once, it seemed to like her at first, but the moment she let it outside, it flew off. She didn't want Elsa to run away.

She reminded herself that Elsa couldn't get very far away from her. She had her scent memorized and Elsa wasn't exactly a fast runner, this she knew from experience.

Elsa reached the bottom of the ladder and breathed out a sigh of relief, never having had to climb down from something so high.

"You must be crazy to live somewhere so high." Elsa commented.

Anna just smiled, not understanding, but liking Elsa's voice directed at her.

"Mmm." Anna responded, just because she wanted to.

The two set off towards the forest, Anna leading the way while Elsa was practically glued to her back, constantly looking around, worried that another of Anna's kind would spot them and come for her. Anna on the other hand showed no fear about walking through her homelands with a human girl at her back. She walked along, head held high as she took the lead into the forest. Her senses told her that some of her kind had already spotted them, but none had come forth to confront her about it. She wasn't keeping Elsa a secret, and any could come to harm her, there was no protection offered to humans in her homelands.

However Anna had clearly taken Elsa as hers. Any who came to harm her would have to confront Anna first, something everyone knew in the village.

"Where are we going anyway?" Elsa tried, already knowing Anna wouldn't understand, but needing to say something in the silence before her panic induced mind got the best of her.

"Mmm." That was about all she expected anyway.

The journey went for quite some time, possibly twenty or so minutes before Anna stopped. Elsa watched as she crouched in front of a bush and began picking berries from it. Elsa's stomach growled at the sight. When she thought Anna wasn't looking, she snagged one for herself. She smelled it, finding the smell to be something entirely new. It wasn't a bad smell, but she really couldn't tell if it was a good one.

Hearing Elsa's intake of breath, Anna looked up just in time to see her about to put the berry in her mouth. Anna shot up like a rocket, startling the poor girl. She growled before slapping the berry out of Elsa's hand. Elsa took her hand back, cradling it to her chest as she backed away from Anna a good three feet. She wanted to run, but the look in Anna's eyes told her that she couldn't do it. Anna was obviously quick, and Elsa couldn't hope to match her stamina.

Anna face softened at the scared look of the frail girl.

"Mmm." Anna looked around for a moment, as if searching for something. She gave up as an idea came to her. "Oooo." She said, just to make sure Elsa was looking at her.

Anna put down the berries, all except one before taking it and placing it in her mouth. She began to chew, making noises of satisfaction, before suddenly beginning to convulse. She clutched at her stomach, sounds of pain leaving her lips. Elsa's eyes widened, scared of what was happening to her. Anna fell to her knees, clutching at her throat now, before falling face first onto the ground. She laid there, unmoving, not breathing for several seconds. Elsa instantly began looking around, scared that someone would see this and assume she did it before killing her. She realized then as well that her bodyguard had just apparently died on her. She quickly ran over, falling on her knees and shaking Anna.

"Oh no. Oh please no. You can't die on me like this! I need you! Come on!" Elsa pleaded, eyes beginning to water at the idea of what was going to happen to her if Anna really died here. "Come on! You were so tough earlier, are you going to let one little berry do- Ahhh!" Elsa screamed a scream she was sure should have been saved for moments of true peril.

Instead she screamed because Anna suddenly jumped up onto her hands and feet, legs bent so she could walk along the ground with her arms.

"Ooo." Anna said, spitting out a perfectly unchewed berry into her palm.

Elsa didn't consider herself very smart. She didn't know how to read, she really only knew farm work, and according to several jobs in town, she was unqualified. Still, even she knew when someone was putting on a demonstration to tell you something.

"They're poisonous." Elsa finally understood.

"Mmm."

Elsa looked at the little berry that almost ended her life. She could have died over something so small, just because she was hungry. She watched Anna go back to picking up the berries she dropped. Elsa now wondered what Anna was going to do with poisonous berries. Anna did eventually finish collecting what she needed and walked off again, Elsa quick to follow.

For yet another five minutes they walked, until Anna felt the need to stop again. Anna stood for a moment, smelling the air heavily. Elsa almost commented, asking if she was a dog. However, for all Elsa knew, Anna could be part dog or something. Anna ended up walking a short distance before pointing to something with her hand that wasn't full of berries. Anna made another noise, trying to get Elsa to notice. Elsa however didn't see anything. All she saw was foliage. Anna, assuming she saw what she was pointing at, descended onto her stomach and put out her hands, cupping the berries in them as far away from her body as possible. She stayed like that for several seconds before noticing that Elsa was standing beside her.

"Oooo!" She whispered frantically.

Elsa didn't understand until a few more sounds from Anna. Anna wanted her to lay prone on the ground as well. Elsa looked to the ground and shrugged, figuring she was dirty enough as is. She laid down on her stomach, Anna ceasing any noise after that and looking forward. Elsa laid with her, wondering what they were waiting for. Nothing happened, and nothing happened for another two minutes. Elsa began to get uncomfortable, wondering why she had to do this as well. She almost spoke up, almost ruined what Anna had planned, but luckily she didn't once she saw just what they were waiting for.

A small rabbit with tiny antlers appeared, a strange thing for Elsa to see. However with everything she'd seen in the last day, this was the most normal. The rabbit sniffed at the air for a moment before looking in their direction. It was then that Anna squished the berries as slowly as she could in her hand. She opened them again, just as slow, not wanting to startle it. The rabbit sniffed again, this time coming out of the bushes it was hiding behind. What Anna knew, and what Elsa didn't know, was that this rabbit was one of the few animals in the forest with the stomach capable of digesting these berries without dying. It just so happened that these berries were its favorite meal as well. The rabbits sense of smell and eyesight were terrible however, which was why Anna had to be so close to its nest with the berries. She crushed them just to get the scent even heavier on in the air, hoping to entice it over.

And enticed it was.

The rabbit slowly hopped over, smelling the air for danger, but finding only the scent of the berries. It skipped over to Anna's hands, smelling at them before putting its face into her hand to nibble at the crushed fruit. Elsa almost aww'd at the sight, wondering if Anna had brought her out here just to show her this. It was a beautiful sight, and Elsa did like animals. Maybe Anna wasn't as scary as Elsa thought.

Then Anna quickly snapped her hands around the rabbit, claws digging in to keep it from running as it squealed.

Elsa's mouth fell open as Anna smiled. The Half-Beast girl stood up, claws deep into the rabbit's flesh. She opened her mouth, stuck the rabbits head in, and bit down with her rows of sharp teeth, severing the head from the body. Elsa watched with some horror as Anna spit the head out, the body no longer moving. Anna turned to Elsa then, bloody smile on display.

"Ehah." She said, offering the body to Elsa.

Elsa just stared on, wondering how she could have ever imagined Anna in a positive light. Forget being even remotely human, she was nothing but a monster. No human could ever bite the head off of an animal for fun.

Elsa stood up, thinking about running, but feeling just a bit too angry for that.

"What is wrong with you?! Why would you do that?!" Elsa questioned angrily, forgetting that Anna was much stronger than her and that she probably shouldn't raise her voice to her and potentially rile her up.

Anna's eyebrows furrowed as she pulled the body up to her nose to smell it. A few quick intakes of breath told her there was nothing wrong with it. Once again she held the body out for Elsa to take. It was slapped out of her hands by Elsa, who seemed to be growing angrier and angrier the longer it was in her sight. Anna didn't understand. For her people, this animal was a gift, a sign of good friendship among one another. It was to be eaten together. She didn't know why she was doing it for Elsa exactly. It was true that Elsa shared features similar to herself, but she didn't think of Elsa as one of her own. Just like Elsa, there was a sort of species barrier in the way. To Elsa, Anna was a monster. To Anna, Elsa was a weak little thing that needed protection.

Anna frowned at the ground where the food now lay. Her offering had been rejected. In her culture, to reject the horned rabbit was to reject a person. Elsa did not wish to be friends, she did not wish any relationship with Anna. Furthermore her anger showed that she was not just rejecting her, but disliked her immensely.

Elsa was unaware of such things, simply angry that Anna would kill such a cute creature for seemingly no reason.

After more harsh language from Elsa, that Anna did not understand, but got part of the message, the two did leave. Anna leading the way, though this time around her head was hung and she had a forlorn look upon her face. She thought Elsa liked her, Elsa was so quick to follow her that she was sure the rabbit would be accepted. She had meant to get it as an apology for scaring her earlier when she tried to touch her with her back-whips. The rabbit was more than for signs of good friendship, but for apologies and making up as well. She wanted to show Elsa that she had no reason to be afraid. However it seems Anna was wrong like before. Just like the bird she once caught and kept as a pet, she had misjudged Elsa. She thought the girl liked her, just like the bird, however the bird had runaway at the first chance it could. And Elsa? Elsa didn't run, but she was certainly not happy with Anna's presence at the moment. The thought made her chest ache for some reason.

As for Elsa, she was furious, but also conflicted. Sure, Anna had murdered a cute creature, but she was still the only one in the village willing to keep her safe. She could have let Elsa eat the berry from earlier and die, however she didn't and was quite aggressive in making sure she survived it. It was almost like a mother smacking a sword out of a child's hand before giving him a lecture of how he could poke his eye out. Anna didn't seem cruel for no reason, so why had she done it? Why try to give her the body afterwards? Was it a sick joke? She _was_ smiling at the time.

Her growling stomach answered it for her.

The rabbit was food.

Elsa felt like such an idiot. Anna was offering her food, a thing she greatly needed after not having eaten since leaving for the trip into the forest. How stupid could she be? It wasn't like Elsa had never eaten rabbit before. Sure, she'd never been around to watch one die, but she'd had her fair share of rabbit meat in her life. It was too late now though, they had been walking for some time and she could see the village up ahead and Anna's tree hut in its tree.

She wondered if she should apologize. Anna clearly hadn't meant any harm in what she was trying to do. She couldn't have warned Elsa about what she was going to do either, seeing as how neither understood the other. She thought about going back, to pick it up and bring it back, to show Anna that she would like to accept what was being given to her. That idea was quickly thrown out. She had no idea where to even go to get back to where they were. All the trees and foliage looked the same to her, she had no idea how Anna managed to lead them back to the village in the first place. Besides, it was darker now, the sun nearly disappearing out on the horizon.

Her thought process was interrupted when she noticed a man leaving one of the huts in the village. Elsa and Anna had just stepped inside the village's boundaries when Elsa noticed a Half-Beast man leaving what looked to be a storage area. Elsa only considered it that, because she noticed various suits of armor thrown into a pile. She swore she saw a weapon as well, something sharp, but didn't get a good enough look as the man let the curtain fall on the hut as he left. While Anna guided Elsa back to the tree to climb, Elsa had never taken her eyes off the hut that must have contained stuff acquired from her squadron.

She was sure she saw a weapon...

Elsa held onto that thought, even as she climbed up first after Anna insisted with sounds that she climb up. It wouldn't leave her mind as she entered Anna's hut in the tree and took up her spot on Anna's bed. It was an easy thing to remember when Anna didn't seem keen on trying to distract her. In fact Anna didn't bother her the entire time that they were back, instead taking up a spot in a dark corner to watch Elsa. Elsa knew what she had to do, she needed to get into that room, to find a weapon so she could escape. Surely these people needed sleep like every other living thing on the planet. Elsa looked to the dark corner where she knew Anna was watching her even though she could only see her legs sticking out of the darkness.

An idea was hatched in Elsa's mind.

The blonde haired girl let out an obviously fake yawn. She laid down on the bed, grabbing the pelt and throwing it over herself. Her great idea was to pretend to be asleep until Anna fell asleep. Once that was done, she would sneak out and acquire a weapon. After that... well she wasn't completely sure if she should hide it somewhere in Anna's hut or take her chances and run. It took a long time to enact her plan in Elsa's mind, so long in fact that she nearly fell asleep herself. Eventually though she swore she could hear Anna's light breaths begin to turn into a small snore. She waited another ten minutes just to be sure before opening her eyes. Of course with even less light shining through the curtain of the hut, Elsa couldn't see a thing. It was night now and Anna didn't keep any lights in her home.

Elsa slowly got up, worried that even the slightest of noise would awaken the beast. The last thing she needed was to try and explain what she was doing. She somehow managed however, getting up and slowly crawling towards the entrance to the nest. She poked her head out first, like always, checking to make sure there were no other beast-men around. She found none and decided to take this as an opportunity. She crawled out of the hut and began her descent down the ladder. Her heart began to pound, knowing she was about to wander the village without Anna. What else could she do however, she doubted Anna would help her in sneaking into the storage area to get her weapon back.

Her feet touched the ground at the base of the tree, she looked around once more, trying to control her breath that was beginning to get out of control thanks to her heart rate. Images of what happened to her captain and the rest of the men from her squad flashed through her head. She didn't want to be the next one pushed against a rock and killed. Still, she would never make it here long without a weapon, and she couldn't rely on Anna alone to protect her from an entire village of people. Elsa gave a look up at the hut made high in the trees.

Anna wouldn't understand.

Elsa blew out a small breath to try and quell her nerves. She began to move, remembering where the storage area was that she saw the man leave from before. It wasn't far from Anna's tree, just a few huts and trees down. She stepped past a hut where loud snoring could be heard inside, multiple loud snores. She wondered how many of these monsters were inside that tent. Worse yet she feared it was only one person, perhaps some grotesque beast of a man with multiple mouths. She shook her head at the thought, figuring it wasn't important right now. She continued down, passing more huts and tree houses. She nearly had a heart attack when she realized that some of the beast people were awake, a few of them were inside one hut where a light could be seen coming from below the curtain made of animal skin. There were noises coming from inside, but no conversation. The only reason Elsa was sure they were awake was due to the shadows that danced under the skin. She passed by carefully, stepping down on the grass and plants around the home as silently as she could.

By some miracle of god, she managed to make it to the hut she was sure was some sort of storage area. There was no light inside and she didn't hear any snoring, assuming it was safe to go in, she quickly scurried in. Once inside she found it hard to see thanks to there being barely any light. The moonlight was all she had, which wasn't much. She felt around instead, instantly going for the corner where she was sure she saw armor that her company once wore. Her touch landed on something cold, something metallic and she quietly celebrated in her mind, glad she was correct in her assumption. She began to move things around as quietly as she could, searching for the sharp object she had found earlier. It took several minutes of suspense to find it. She nearly ran out and back to Anna's tree every time she accidentally bumped a piece of metal into another. Eventually though she found what she was looking for.

Elsa felt a prick against the palm of her hand, causing it to bleed. She hissed at the pain, but quickly reached back out to grab at what hurt her, knowing its sharp edge. Elsa's hands wrapped around wood and an immense amount of relief washed over her. She picked it up, knowing the feeling of it well. It was a spear, whether it was her spear or not she did not know. It didn't really matter anyway. She backed away with the spear, ready to leave the storage area. She silently walked back to the curtain of animal skin, lifting it to leave.

That was when she was confronted.

A deep growl made Elsa freeze as she left the hut. Before her stood a woman, huge antlers on her head and several black spots on her face. The growl sounded more human than animal, but that didn't matter to Elsa. Elsa stared at her, not knowing what to do in the face of being caught without Anna. Perhaps it was foolish, but Elsa brandished the spear, taking up the stance she was taught in the army.

"Don't say anything." Elsa tried to be threatening, but it was hard when her legs were shaking.

The woman moved towards her in a lunge and Elsa reacted. She stabbed the tip of the spear into the woman's shoulder. She shrieked at that and backed away. Elsa didn't wait, taking the opportunity presented to her, she ran with her spear in hand. She made a break for the nearest exit into the forest, hoping to lose anyone who would chase her. There was a piercing shriek that sounded almost like a goat bellowing behind her, one that had most certainly been done to wake everyone in the village up. Elsa soon found others coming out of their huts, angry and at the ready to defend their homes. Another man jumped in front of her with a bellow of some kind that Elsa had never heard. She tried stabbing him with the spear, only he moved out of the way before she could. She ran by him instead, lungs working in overtime as her panicked brain sent her into flight or fight mode.

More men and women came out, some of them blocking her path and forcing her to run another way. This went on and on, Elsa jabbing her spear at some of them, but they refused to move and took a swipe at her instead. She was being cornered, she knew it based off of their movements, but there was little she could do about it. Eventually she was circled by men and women, all of them looking different from the last, yet just as animal-like as the one before. Elsa tried forcing her way through a smaller looking woman, running at her with her spear out and yelling to try and intimidate her. It didn't work as well as she wanted, the woman simply moved out of the way of her spear and managed to sink her claws into Elsa's shoulder. Elsa grunted in pain, not feeling the full extent of it due to her pumping adrenaline. Elsa backed away, scared, knowing she was trapped. She kept her spear up, swinging it wildly at anyone who got too close. Suddenly she felt pain explode in her back as someone managed to slash their claws down her back from behind. She whipped around with the spear, barely missing the man who got her. Another managed to get her leg now that she was distracted. She fell to her knees, swinging her spear as much as she could. Her breath came out in quick and hurried puffs, her body doing what it could to keep going. She realized they were playing with her. They could have killed her long ago. They really were monsters.

However a thought entered her mind, one telling her that she had a monster of her own.

"Anna!" She screamed. "Anna!"

Some of them looked confused, perhaps a few even recognizing who she was attempting to call for.

Another swipe that cut her face, leaving three claw marks down her cheek.

"Anna!"

A swipe at her arm.

"Anna!"

A ferocious roar from above.

Everyone suddenly stopped, all of the Half-Beasts turning to look up at the sound. Elsa was on both her knees, still clutching her spear. She looked up to, ragged breaths getting worse. Something jumped from high in a tree, impacting the ground with an incredible thud. Another rawr was heard as something began pushing through Half-Beasts towards Elsa. Blue-green eyes met blue as Anna pushed in close enough to see Elsa. Anna didn't say anything and for a moment Elsa feared that she may join in on the cruelty or leave. She didn't however, as Anna walked in closer and bent down to grab Elsa's arms and help her to her feet.

That was when Anna noticed the cut on Elsa's face, that beautiful face that she loved to stare at ever since meeting her.

Elsa cowered away at the sound of Anna's roar. It wasn't directed at her however. Anna smacked her chest once and then twice with a curled fist as she looked around at her kin. She grabbed Elsa, pulling her close before roaring again. Elsa imagined that there was a message being sent, but exactly what she was not sure. It wasn't until a young man stepped up that Elsa realized what was going on.

Anna was challenging them.

The man, or rather boy, was probably around fourteen years old, assuming Anna's species aged the same way as a human. He was tall, built, and certainly looked as though he could handle Anna in a fight.

Someone else did not think so.

An older woman, probably forty or so years old, came out of the crowd and smacked him on his chest with a growl. What Elsa didn't know was that this was his mother. It wasn't like she should feel bad for not realizing, truthfully they looked nothing alike. The son had short, blonde hair and had features that reminded Elsa of a snake. His eyes were similar to Anna's, only they were red in color. His ears were elongated and there were red scales on his skin all throughout his body. The mother seemed more like some sort of mammal, sporting floppy, beast-like ears and small stature. She honestly looked very human in comparison to others, however she was just a bit too short to be considered normal. She couldn't have been taller than five feet, likely smaller.

Anna took a step toward the boy who wanted to be a man. The mother quickly got between them, falling to her knees and prostrating herself in front of Anna. She let out a pathetic mewl, a pitiful whimper that begged Anna not to fight her son. Fights in Anna's culture often left the brawlers with permanent wounds. Worst yet was that it was common to see someone die if the fight was fueled by enough anger. The older woman was no fool, she could see how much Anna cared for that blonde girl she'd brought back. She didn't approve, but she wasn't stupid enough to challenge Anna about it. Anna was one of the scouts, the strongest fighters that were sent out to scout out the area for intruders. They were also sent to fight whenever trouble arose. Anna was no weakling and her son was just a fool who had yet to learn when to step down and mind his business.

Anna simply growled at her, putting a naked foot on her head and pressing down. The mother mewled, letting her head be pushed into the ground. The son growled at the sight, before lunging at Anna while she was looking down at the mother. Suddenly they were on the ground, rolling and clawing at one another. The mother quickly stood, trying to rush over and stop them, but another villager grabbed her and held her back.

"Ahhhma! Ahhhma!" The mother pleaded.

Elsa watched on, liking that the entire attention of the village was away from her, but scared that Anna might lose this fight. If Anna lost then there was no telling what would happen to herself. It was hard to tell who was winning when the both of them were growling and rolling around, clawing at one another. However it was soon figured out when Anna suddenly pinned him, arms around his neck and knees on his arms to hold them down. Elsa had never seen a look like the one Anna was sporting. The pure anger, hatred, fury that was written across her face was unlike any she'd seen. She wondered about just how easily she could have had that same look turned on her earlier when she'd rejected the food that Anna caught for her. The girl could have easily turned on her and she would have been the one being choked.

Anna dug her claws into his neck as she choked him, fully intent on ending his life for not only challenging her, but for hurting Elsa. She could smell it on him, could smell the blood on his claws that belonged to Elsa. She wanted him dead, to take his head as her trophy, to challenge another and another until she'd killed any who would try and take Elsa from her. She'd never felt this way, never felt this much desire to kill. Sure, Anna had been in her fair share of duels, but only once had she ever killed. She knew no one would stop her, disputes between two people were left alone by the other villagers. It was an unspoken rule to let others fight and work out the problems themselves. Whether it be peacefully in the end, or by one of them having their corpse burned once it was over.

It was almost over, and Anna was ready to challenge another. However that was when she felt his neck thicken and grow, her grip could no longer properly choke him and once she realized what was going on, she backed off, jumping away from him. The other villagers backed away as well, giving more room for the duel to continue. Before her, Anna watched as he transformed from a weak, yet prideful boy, into a giant reptile like creature. The best summation was that he looked like a fifteen foot long salamander that was six feet in height. Only Salamanders didn't tend to have six legs and two tails. There were spikes along his back as well. Anna just looked at him, grimacing at his cowardice. Once fights were started, you were to stay in whatever form you started it in. In fact, he was already breaking the rules by jumping on her without proper warning while she was distracted.

Not that it mattered, his death would only be more painful now.

Anna felt her bones move, felt them break and reform, felt the intense pain that came with transforming from her humanoid form. Her eyes burned and her brain felt as though it had melted into sludge. Her fingers split open for bigger claws, her body elongating in a quick, yet very painful manner. Her spine was reset, her body now taking on a better form to walk along four legs. Her hands turned to palms, fur grew, and her mouth stretched into that of a canines.

And Elsa watched on, feeling like an idiot for not realizing that she'd seen Anna already.

Anna was the same beast that attacked her before, the same one she ran her spear into before being knocked out.

Anna transformed into her canine-like form, tendrils on her back growing immensely long, wiping about in anger behind her. She barked out a roar, a threat that told the boy he would regret this. He hissed back before taking in a large breath. Anna watched as his cheeks puffed out like a frogs and he suddenly threw his back up, the spikes on his back popping off and flying towards Anna. With precision he was unaware that Anna had, she smacked several away with her tendrils, only one of them sticking into her back leg. That was when he panicked and realized that perhaps he had made a mistake.

Anna showed no mercy.

Her back tendrils began to wave again, energy seeming to build up in them before sparks began flying between them in a line of lightning. Anna rushed at him with speed that no salamander could keep up with. He opened his jaw, hoping to catch Anna off guard because of her rushing in. He failed however as Anna swiveled around and bit down onto his neck. The fight was over before it could really begin and they both knew it. Anna sunk her teeth into his thick skin, powerful jaw allowing her to work deeper and deeper inside. He wailed with pathetic sounds, the sounds of a dying animal. Anna took it slow too, savoring that he was being tortured. A tendril whipped forward and shocked him, sending out another painful sound from his reptile lips. Anna could hear the mother in the background still calling both her and her sons name, begging for Anna to let him go, to let him live and learn from this mistake. Anna remembered Elsa's scratched face and bit down harder, a tooth puncturing his jugular. Blood seeped out as he began to die, there was no saving him now, his wounds fatal and wouldn't be treated fast enough. Still, this wasn't enough for Anna, so she whipped her tendrils into him over and over, making him scream out to the rest of the villagers. It sounded like a desperate call for help, one that he was not going to get from anyone else. The only one willing to break the rules was his mother, and others would hold her back to keep her from breaking them.

As he died, Elsa watched on. She couldn't say she was surprised to see them turn into beasts, she had already suspected such a thing before. Still, to see it in action was horrifying to say the least. The painful sounds of them transforming was enough to make her grimace. She could hear the bones pop, hear their wails of pain and fury as they transformed. She could hear the flesh ripping and re-attaching to create something new. It was disgusting, so disgusting she didn't understand how they could go through with it. She was stuck in this village with the rest of these monsters, while being protected by one. She looked on as Anna whipped her tendrils into the dying salamander over and over, trying to cause him as much a painful death as she could.

That was her protector... her beast.

It was the last thought she had as she passed out from blood loss, a loss of adrenaline and most importantly, just being plain tired after everything that happened.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey, again. God, i know i said weekly updates, as in I originally planned to save the updating until seven days after uploading one, but you guys left so many nice reviews and I feel bad making you wait a week when I just finished the chapter this afternoon. So, here you guys go, I really hope you enjoy.

GeekFun: I'm glad you enjoyed and I do plan to write more, I really like this story. Truthfully i'm still thinking up everything as I go along, I barely have a base for the main plot of the story, but i'm going to keep working at it.

Guest (1): glad you enjoyed, here's another update.

Anon: Captivated you say? Well that's honestly a writer's favorite word from a reviewer.

Laryssa1234: Yeah, and its gonna get grosser in the future i'm sure. Glad you're enjoying yourself.

Guest(2): Got you hooked? Can't wait for next chapter? Oh man, now I feel the pressure to keep the story good. I hope it holds your interest .

Once again big ty for the reviews. Honestly just having you guys read is nice enough, receiving reviews just makes me want to try harder and get out more stuff for you guys. Oh and don't be afraid to leave a bad review, my heart can handle criticism, all reviews are encouraged. Anyway, on with the story!

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Dreams. Sometimes dreams are obvious, sometimes they distort themselves from reality so much that the dreamer becomes aware.

This was not one of those times.

Elsa sat at the table back at her home, waiting for her mother to bring in her delicious home cooked meals. The house was warm as always, truthfully feeling even warmer than before, a perfect temperature for her. While the cold never really bothered Elsa, people seemed to believe she preferred it over the warmth. They couldn't have been farther from the truth. Warmth reminded her of home, of family, of laughing together over simple things in the home. Cold? Cold reminded her of working the farm, not a bad memory really, however cold also reminded her of her childhood, of a terrible incident that she tried everyday to convince herself was nothing more than a dream.

At the table sat her entire family, all except her mother. Her father Agnarr sat at the head of the table, impatiently tapping his foot, Elsa was not the only hungry one apparently. Olaf, who was only six years old, sat there, staring at his older brother Marshall in a one sided staring contest. Marshall, ten years old, had long since given up, but refused to officially dictate that Olaf had won. Marshall looked to Elsa then, deciding she was more entertaining than his little brother.

"How is work in the castle, Elsa?" He asked, voice a bit deep for a ten year old. Everyone in the family and neighborhood was sure that he was going to grow into a very tall and burly man. He as already bigger than everyone his own age and most times bigger than others that were older. With such size it wouldn't be long before he was doing the heavier farm work beside his father. A father who was, might Elsa add, quite proud of having such a huge son.

Elsa almost asked what he meant, until she remembered that she told her family she was working within the castle as a maid, not a soldier. "Everything's fine, Marshmallow." She told him, already smiling before his face could contort into a frown.

She had nicknamed him Marshmallow long ago. He was her first little brother after all and his name had been so easy to change in her head. It certainly got funnier when Marshmallow learned from other boys that boys were supposed to protect girls. Since then he had become Elsa little, well maybe not so little, protector. He had chased off many suitors who came for Elsa's hand during her time on the farm. Of course, it was mostly due to Elsa not being interested in such things. She had her farm and her family, what more could a young girl want?

"Dinner is ready!" Announced her mother, Iduna, as she entered the room, carrying a cooked chicken.

"Ah there is my lovely." Agnarr stood, walking over to Iduna.

She leaned forward to give him a kiss, only to have the feast stolen by his greedy hands as he walked back to the table, licking his chops. The face her mother made as she put her hands on her hips was enough to make Elsa laugh.

"I find nothing funny young lady. I demand punishment upon this fiend who has made off with our dinner." Her mother commanded like a queen, a peasant queen.

"As king, my rule is higher than yours, milady. I revoke your commands." Her father said as he placed the chicken on the table, already aiming to steal a leg.

A quick swat from her mother was enough to get him to retreat back into his seat.

"Not until everyone is here." She told him.

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed at this. She took a look around, and then a second look just to be sure. "Everyone is here." She told her mother, wanting to eat just as much as her father.

Her mother just gave off a tsk of her tongue. "Have you forgotten the guest already?"

"Guest?" Elsa questioned.

Suddenly there were two loud bangs on the front door that nearly took it off the hinges. No one seemed phased by it except Elsa who nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Ah that must be them!" Her mother said excitedly.

Her mother went to open the door. Elsa stared on, wondering who the guest could be. It was then that Elsa noticed there was an extra chair at the table beside her that was not normally there. She frowned at it, wondering when it got there, and when someone set out a plate and silverware beside it. That was when her mother opened the door, revealing their guest.

Elsa's jaw tensed at the arrival.

"Mmm." Anna greeted the mother as she walked in, barely paying her any attention, eyes on the chicken on the table.

The incredibly out of place guest was greeted with small cheer by everyone except Elsa. Anna walked over, taking the seat next to Elsa, all the while eyeing the chicken as though she were going to transform then and there and gobble it up in one bite. Elsa's mother walked over, taking her seat next to her husband.

"Would you like a leg, Anna?" Her father asked, all of a sudden being willing to part with the piece he wanted most.

Anna ignored him. She growled threateningly as she reached across the table and slid the the entire plate of chicken to herself. She ripped off a leg and bit into it, growl turning into an almost purr at the flavor. Elsa just stared on at this out of place picture. Everyone seemed to accept Anna's place at the table, even willing to let her take the whole chicken, laughing about it. Elsa was the only sane one at the moment.

"You can't hog it all. Share with everyone else." Elsa suddenly said, a spark of bravery flaring up in her at the abuse of her family.

Anna took another bite of chicken as her eyes slowly moved over to Elsa. They widened at the sight of her, almost as if she didn't even realize Elsa was there. Anna reached forward and ripped off another leg, setting it on Elsa's plate. Elsa felt some small triumph at this.

"Now give some to everyone else." She told her, feeling some confidence.

Everyone smiled, waiting expectantly with hungry eyes.

Anna growled.

Suddenly there was a monster in Anna's place, a large wolf-like beast that was much too long to fit in the house and too tall to fit inside, yet somehow she managed, the house seeming to morph into a larger shape with her. Elsa gasped as Anna swiped a paw at the nearest person to her who was Olaf. His tiny head was taken off his shoulders in one swoop, blood gushing out and spilling all over the table as his body slumped forward and smacked into the table. She screamed as Anna's back tendril whipped out and split Marshall in half, his organs falling out of his body with a wet squelch. Her parents stood there, still smiling, still waiting for dinner. Elsa tried to get up, but found herself glued into her seat. Anna took the opportunity to attack, biting poor Agnarr at the waist and severing his torso from his legs. Her mother found herself placed under a paw and crushed to death, bones heard cracking even on the other side of the table where Elsa was frozen in her chair. Elsa realized she was crying as hot tears slid down her face. Her body still refused to move, but the emotions were free to run rampant within her.

Anna morphed back into her humanoid form, back tendrils whipping around in excitement at her fresh kills. She took a seat beside Elsa again, picking up her piece of chicken again and biting into it.

"Mmm." Anna grumbled after noticing Elsa was not eating.

She picked up Elsa's piece and offered it to her. Elsa, with tears in her eyes, opened her mouth to be fed the chicken that was covered in the blood of her family.

That was where it ended, and where Elsa suddenly found herself staring at the dark ceiling of Anna's tree hut. She recognized her surroundings immediately by the hanging fangs that were suspended by some sort of rope or vine. Elsa found herself breathing a little heavier than normal, mind still going over the nightmare she'd just had. It was some time later that she tried to get up, feeling for the first time since being captured that she had to use the restroom. Odd now that she thought about it.

Only she had trouble getting up due to an arm thrown over her chest.

She panicked for the briefest of moments before recognizing the tanned skin thrown over her body. She turned her head to the left to the left to see the dozing Beast-Girl who was so keen on keeping her safe. Anna's arm and leg were thrown over Elsa, holding her close as Anna's head came to rest with her forehead on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa almost pushed her away as images from her dream came back. She knew to ignore it, to write it off as just a wild dream, yet she still felt cautious of Anna because of it. Because of this, she tried to sneakily pry herself away from Anna so she could leave to answer nature's call. She tried moving her arm first, picking it up as softly as she could without waking the girl. Surprisingly though, not even a second of being detached, Anna's arm came back down more forcefully and hugged Elsa even harder, hard enough to be uncomfortable. Elsa let out a breath as Anna tried to squeeze her as close as possible. Looking down she could see the girl was still asleep.

She gave up. She realized she would need Anna to come with her anyway if she wanted to leave Anna's nest.

"Anna." She called.

No response.

"Anna." A bit louder.

A heavy snore as a response.

"Anna!" She tried again, just a little over her normal speaking voice, even giving Anna a shake this time.

A grumble as Anna moved her head to get more comfortable, now laying her head on Elsa's chest.

Elsa blinked at the behavior. So Anna wasn't 'dozing' at all. In fact it seemed the girl had been knocked out if anything. Elsa almost smiled at the thought of Anna being a heavy sleeper. Instead she frowned as Anna's grip became tighter, her leg now wrapping around Elsa's own. For some reason, Elsa almost found it sweet that Anna was so comfortable with her to do this, that is until Anna's hand found its way to somewhere that no one had ever touched.

"A-Anna!" She jumped up, freeing herself from Anna's grip and covering her chest with a glare. She knew the girl didn't do it on purpose, she was just a very touchy sleeper apparently.

Anna shot up, eyes wild as she looked around. A smaller, more human growl sounded from her throat as she went to get up, but realized that Elsa was still next to her. She calmed down near instantly after seeing Elsa was safe and they were the only two here. The two stared at one another for a moment.

"Sorry." Elsa said with a small blush, realizing that she overreacted and awoke the girl rather forcefully.

Anna smacked her lips a few times before scratching her head, eyes already beginning to shut again.

Elsa looked up, a hand quickly coming to cover her mouth as a snicker broke out. Upon Anna's head sat a whirlwind of hair. Never had Elsa seen something so ridiculous in the morning. She broke out into a laugh, the first genuine one she'd had for quite some time. Anna's eyes opened at the sound, a piece of hair caught in her mouth. It was melodious to her, almost like a siren's song. That was until she noticed where Elsa was looking as she laughed. Anna reached up and touched the absolute bird's nest of a hairstyle she was now rocking. She felt embarrassed for a moment before feeling grumpy that Elsa had awoken her and then laughed at her. She didn't care that it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

Well… maybe a little.

Anna grumbled as she laid back down, eyes closing again as she pulled the pelt over her body.

"Wait. Wait, I'm sorry." Elsa told her, face still smiling as a few more giggles broke through.

Anna's eye peeked open at her.

Elsa giggled.

The eye closed with a snort as Anna turned her back to Elsa, hair looking pissed off with a vengeance.

Elsa laughed again, hand coming to cover her mouth like she always did. It wasn't until nearly ten seconds of giggles that she realized her arm was covered with a leaf. From her the back of her forearm and up to nearly her shoulder, there was a large, green leaf wrapped tightly around her. It was strange, she thought. At first she figured it was just something from the bedding she slept on, but a quick check showed that it was stuck to her with some sort of yellow resin. Elsa saw that there were more leaves on her, another on her other shoulder and even one stuck to cheek. There was another on her back leg that felt sort of itchy.

"Anna?" She called as she scratched at it.

Anna turned to see her scratching.

"Ooo!" She called.

Elsa immediately stopped at the loud noise.

Anna got up and took her leg into her hands, making sure the leaf stayed on, which it did. Anna made another sound before patting her leg, rubbing the leaf as well to make sure it stuck. While she did that, Elsa then noticed that Anna also had one on her thigh. It took her a few moments before realizing that these leaves were placed on wounds, as she clearly remembered Anna being struck in the leg and all of the leaves were on parts of her body that were previously injured from the villagers. The yellow looking resin must have been some sort of salve, or maybe it was the leaf itself that was used to heal wounds. Either way her wounds didn't hurt and Elsa was sure it wasn't something she should take off if Anna too was wearing one.

Anna, after making sure that Elsa's leaves were stuck to her, turned back to the bed to sleep.

"Wait, Anna." Elsa called, grabbing Anna's bare shoulder that was not covered by the animal skin on her body.

Anna almost mewled at the touch as she turned to look at Elsa.

"I uh… I have to go." Elsa said.

Anna blinked slowly at her, still half asleep.

"This could take awhile to get you to understand, huh?" Elsa sighed.

And take awhile it did.

It was ten minutes later that Elsa managed to convince Anna to come outside. The girl seemed very forlorn that she didn't get to go back to sleep. She didn't understand why Elsa wanted to go out, but she couldn't let her go out alone, so she followed when Elsa kept pulling her away from the bed. Anna grumbled all the way down the tree, low growls and rumbles as she led the way down. Elsa surprisingly didn't find it all that intimidating with Anna's head looking like that.

Once down, Elsa led Anna to the forest. She made sure they were out of sight from the village before she relieved herself. It took quite some time to get Anna to turn around as well and to stop walking around the tree to see what Elsa was doing. Eventually Anna got the message and stood watch instead. Truthfully Anna didn't know exactly what Elsa wanted, all she knew was that the girl wanted privacy for some reason. She would give her that, still though she kept her ears open, listening just in case Elsa decided to run. All she heard was the sound of tinkling liquid hitting foliage.

She blushed as she realized what was happening.

Trying to distract herself, she looked towards the village, part of it still being seen, despite what Elsa thought. Anna saw the tall beast of a man walking around, the one who had claimed Elsa's captain as his own. Of course it wasn't the same as what Anna was doing. He had instead eaten the man's heart and left the rest of him to be devoured by the villagers. It wasn't something that phased Anna, in fact, had she not met Elsa, she might have taken part in it. It would have been for status however, not for enjoyment.

Humans didn't taste all that good to her anyway.

The man noticed Anna's stares and turned to look at her. She could see that he had also applied a healing leaf to his arm that she scratched earlier in defense of Elsa. She let out a breath through her nose at the sight of him, a snort of disdain. Almost as if he could hear it, he seemed to do the same before walking off to do whatever.

Noticing that the sound of Elsa evacuating her facilities was over, she turned, looking around the tree to see if she was perhaps preparing to run.

She caught sight of two pale globes of flesh just before they were hidden by brown trousers.

Elsa turned to find a blushing redhead who looked like a bad child that had been caught.

"What?" Was all Elsa asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Anna didn't say anything, just stared back at Elsa, wondering why her face was so hot and her body feeling so funny.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "Is something wrong?"

"Ahh." Was Anna's reply.

Elsa took a look around before realizing where they were and what happened the last time they ventured into the forest together.

"Anna." She said to get the girl's attention, though that wasn't hard considering her attention never left the blonde. "I'm really hungry."

"Mmm." A low mumble, just a sound to add to Elsa's.

Elsa thought about a way to communicate it for a moment before she mimed eating something and began to rub her stomach with satisfied 'Mmm' sounds that were very similar to Anna's own sounds.

Anna seemed to catch onto that one quick. She was glad, she almost wondered if Elsa somehow knew what she'd seen and what it did to her. She shrugged off the feeling, much more concerned with feeding The fragile looking girl. The thought made her remember her previous attempt. It saddened her for a moment, but she tried not to let it get to her. Elsa was asking her now, it was entirely different from before where Anna tried feeding her without any hints. Maybe she just wasn't hungry at the time… still she did seem pretty angry.

Anna shook her head, she hated overthinking things. She liked to do things and get them done, to be finished with them instead of lingering on doubt. Right now, Elsa was asking for food and Anna could provide it.

With a snort of confidence, Anna set out into the woods, Elsa trailing behind. Anna had a simple mind, she wanted Elsa to like her, so she would feed Elsa when asked. She figured the easiest way to get Elsa to like her, was to impress her. It was how Anna got along with those in her village, through feats of strength. Anna didn't seem to care to remember that it was common to use feats of strength to impress a potential mate.

Elsa's mind was working in the same direction as Anna's though maybe not as pure as Anna's thought process. Elsa was thinking about how to make sure she was still on Anna's good side, Sure, the girl still seemed quick to assist Elsa, but Elsa still felt somewhat bad about rejecting her offering of food yesterday. Elsa needed Anna on her side, needed her to continue protecting her until she figured out a way out of the woods. Make no mistake, Elsa was indeed looking for that. She kept her eyes out for anything familiar, anything that looked close to something she'd seen on her way into the forest back when she was with her squadron. She wondered if she could somehow trick Anna if she did find a familiar area. Could she possibly trick the girl into following her, or maybe run while she was distracted. She imagined Anna would be changing into her beast form and hunting her down if she did run.

Elsa swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought.

Anna lead them through the forest for nearly ten minutes before she caught the scent of something close, something worthwhile. Elsa watched her sniff at the air for a moment before she turned to smile at the blonde. Elsa raised another eyebrow, wondering what had her in such good spirits.

"Ooo." Anna said, turning her back to Elsa and bending down a bit.

Now Elsa was even more confused.

"What?"

"Ooo. Mmm." More sounds that sounded increasingly like Anna wanted something.

Anna reached behind her back and waved her hands towards herself.

Elsa took managed to get the exact opposite of what Anna wanted and backed away. Anna huffed at the sight before backing up until she was closer enough to bend down and grab Elsa with her hands from behind. Elsa let out a yelp as Anna threw her onto her back, instinctively the blonde latched onto Anna's neck. Anna grabbed her legs and wrapped them around her waist. Elsa might have questioned her, but really, just what do you say in this situation? Anna made sure that her grip was tight, before crouching down and tensing her legs.

Elsa figured out what she was about to do just a second before it happened.

The blonde screamed as Anna lept at least twelve feet into the air and latched onto a tree with the claws on her hands and feet. Like some sort of cat, Anna climbed by sinking her claws into the bark, one foot and hand at a time. She climbed high, almost as high as Anna's tree house before depositing Elsa onto a thick branch that was more than capable of handling her weight. Elsa held on for dear life, scared out of her wits at this turn of events.

"Just what are you doing?" Elsa questioned, hands and legs wrapped around the branch while the wood pushed into her stomach and chest.

"Ahh." Anna said, patting Elsa on her thigh.

Elsa might have smacked her hand away if it wasn't clenching the tree.

After Anna was sure that Elsa wouldn't move, she descended back down the tree.

"Hey! What are you doing?! You can't leave me!" Elsa yelled after her.

"Ahh!" Anna called back merrily.

Elsa watched the redhead descend until she hit the forest floor. The girl looked back up at her and smiled before running off in a seemingly random direction. At first Elsa was confused and scared. After two minutes went by, she was angry and scared, made that Anna had left her in a tree to do god knows what. After the first five minutes, that's when she became worried and scared. She wondered if Anna had left her in this tree, had decided she was done dealing with Elsa and left her to die. The tree wasn't exactly easy to climb up or down, the branches being fat and thick, yet far apart. The closest branch that led down was a ten foot fall, one that Elsa was capable of surviving… if she actually landed on the branch and held on.

She didn't have too much longer to figure it out when she suddenly heard a call.

"Ehah!" A failed attempt to pronounce Elsa's name.

Elsa looked around until she spotted Anna walking out of the forest, dragging something behind her. Coming a bit closer, Elsa recognized it as a giant boar of some kind, thing thing weighing double, if not triple Anna's weight. The tusks on the thing were mighty indeed, insanely large, looking as though one puncture would be all it took to kill a full grown man, let alone a smaller girl like Anna. Elsa was somewhat amazed, realizing that Anna must have killed the thing without changing form. If she recalled correctly, The clothes on Anna's back had shredded the other day when she transformed. Of course she was clothed in the morning, likely having another pair of animal skins lying around. It honestly looked the same to Elsa, but here were small differences to tell she had changed clothes from yesterday. Still, the same clothes were present on her now, meaning she didn't transform.

Elsa almost felt like it was an odd detail to notice.

Anna on the other hand had purposefully done this, hoping Elsa would notice. She had faced the giant boar alone and in her humanoid form. Sure, it wasn't the biggest thing she could kill in her current form, but it was still impressive. She wanted Elsa to see how strong she was, to be proud of her, to praise her.

Most importantly to like her more.

Anna began to smack her chest, making noises of approval, obviously proud of what she'd done while she stood at the base of the tree.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm impressed, now please get me down."

Anna smacked her chest a few more times, wanting to make sure the message was clear that she was strong. For once she felt Elsa actually understood her and she understood Elsa. Maybe she was wrong, but she was sure Elsa was truly impressed by her feat of strength, however the girl seemed to be more concerned about getting out of the tree. Anna imagined she was afraid of heights, especially considering how carefully and slowly she climbed down Anna's own ladder back at her nest. Anna chortled at the thought, wondering why the girl did not simply let her claws grow long enough to do this climb up and down herself. Either way, Anna set about getting her down, climbing up and extracting the girl before bringing her back down.

Elsa sighed in relief at being placed on the ground.

"Thank you." Elsa said, know Anna wouldn't understand, but needing to say it anyway.

"Ooo." Anna grunted, gesturing towards the dead boar.

Elsa walked over and examined the beast. Now she wondered if it was quite possibly four times heavier than Anna was. It was most certainly in its prime. A closer examination revealed something new.

"Well… I'm sure _he_ was a hard one to kill." Elsa felt even more impressed now that she saw the beast up close.

Anna puffed up her chest like a bird, Elsa almost giggled as she rolled her eyes again. Elsa had never eaten boar before… she wondered if it was the same as a pig. To be fair though, she wouldn't be surprised if it tasted nothing alike. Everything in this forest was nothing like she'd become used to. Rabbits had antlers, boars were much too large and their tusks even larger. That was just the normal animals, if she included the Half-Beasts then things got even stranger. Their beast forms were nothing like any animal she'd ever seen and even their humanoid forms seemed to show strange features even if they were some half-breed of an animal.

Perhaps there was something more going on in this forest where people hadn't ventured for quite some time.

"Ooo." More of Anna's inquisitive noises.

Anna began to rub at the tusks, trying to get Elsa to pay attention to them.

Elsa sighed with a small smile. "I get it Anna, he must have been tough to take down. I greatly appreciate it." Elsa told her as genuinely as she could.

All it took was Elsa resting her hand on Anna's that was still on the tusk for the girl to finally lose her confidence. Anna felt the warmth from Elsa seeping into her. She got that strange feeling from earlier, the feeling that made her want to curl away from Elsa and at the same time tackle her down and curl into her for more warmth. She already knew the latter was a bad idea and did her best not to act on it. Anna didn't regain her cognitive thought until Elsa pulled her hand away.

"Do you really plan on dragging this all the way back?" Elsa asked, wondering if Anna really had the strength.

Had Anna understood her, she would have taken it as a challenge and hoisted the thing on her back as she ran back to the village. Luckily though she didn't. Instead she made a noise back at Elsa and began to drag away the boar back towards the village. It was along the way back, some five minutes later that Elsa smelt something strange. She smelt something burning, or burnt, it was a foul smell as well. Elsa stopped walking and Anna soon stopped as well. With Anna with her, Elsa let her curiosity drive her to move away from their original path. Anna followed her, already knowing where she was heading and just what she was smelling. Anna's sense of smell was so strong that she could smell it from the village, already knowing what it was.

Elsa pushed through foliage until she hit a clearing, and that was where she nearly vomited at the stench and sight. Before her was some sort of graveyard, some strange place where bodies were burned. Elsa knew this because she recognized human husks, burned away in a pit. Along with them were others, small and giant creatures alike. At first Elsa didn't understand. Was this where they buried their enemies? That was until she spotted a body that looked all too familiar. Towards the edge of the pit of bodies, was the large salamander like creature that used to be a young boy. That was when Elsa realized this was a place where people were burned. The human husks must have belonged to former Half-Beasts who died. This was indeed a graveyard, a graveyard for Half-beasts, whether in human or animal form.

Anna just looked on, face blank. She felt no remorse about the son she'd killed. He had met her challenge with confidence. Feeling sorry for another warrior's death seemed shameful to her. She would not mourn the loss of one who accepted a challenge, no matter his age. He was old enough to accept challenges and therefore old enough to die if need be. Elsa was right in her thinking however, this was where Anna's people burned their dead. There were no humans here, the husks of skin and bone that were left from before were fed to the animals, a disgraceful way to deal with the dead in Anna's culture. Anna briefly imagined that Elsa would have been one of those disgraced humans had she not spotted her first and ran her down.

The thought made her tighten her grip on the boar.

Eventually, once Elsa finished dry heaving, thankfully having an empty stomach, the two set off back to the village. Elsa said nothing to Anna and Anna said nothing to Elsa. The two remained in silence, all the way until they crossed into the village.

It was when Anna walked to the ladder of her tree hut and was about to drag it up that Elsa finally spoke up.

"Wait, I can't just eat it raw." Elsa said.

Anna blinked that slow blink at her, not understanding.

Elsa sighed as she knew she was going to have to play the guessing game with Anna. Elsa began her imitation of fire. She spread her hands wide with a whooshing sound from her lips. Anna didn't understand, so Elsa squatted down and pretended to be cold, rubbing at her shoulders and blowing at her hands as she mimed holding them up to a fire.

"Mmm." Anna rumbled after a moment.

Anna walked away from the tree, Elsa, as always, following close behind her. The villagers were more active now, most of them walking about or doing some sort of chore. Elsa noticed one was skinning an animal outside his hut, another woman was combing her hair with a comb made of bone, and yet another villager was laying on his back in the middle of the village, eyes glazed over as he snacked on some strange blue mushroom. Everyone was either busy or bored and looking for something to do. Some just stood around with one another, no conversations being held, yet the company seemed much appreciated. Most of them did turn to look at Elsa, none of them looking pleased to see her, but not all of them willing to waste the small amount of energy it took to grimace at her.

Anna kept an eye on all of them as she walked.

Anna walked all the way to another hut before stopping.

"Ooowaayoo" Anna called.

Elsa was confused until a man appeared from inside the hut. He was short, abnormally short for an adult human. He couldn't have been more than three feet tall. Elsa was almost sure he was part rat, based off of his squished in nose and elongated ears. The buckteeth certainly helped her with her assumption. The man looked to Elsa lazily, before looking to Anna, tired it seems. Anna likely woke him up.

"Ahhma." He greeted, yawning.

"Ooowaayoo." Anna called again, this time beginning to mime fire the same way Elsa had done before, miming an explosion with the sound of wind. He didn't seem to understand and Anna turned to Elsa with a smile.

The message was clear, Elsa's first demonstration of fire was terrible.

Elsa grimaced and turned away.

While Anna began to properly mime her need for fire, Elsa noticed something she wished she hadn't. Out of one of the huts walked a woman, a woman she recognized from last night. It was the mother of the son that was killed. The woman looked much older than she had before, hair a mess and eyes red from obvious tears that were shed all night most likely. Elsa wanted to turn away, but something kept her staring. Eventually the woman did notice Elsa's stares and looked to her. Elsa expected anger, expected pure seething rage. She expected Anna to have to step in and kill again.

All she got was a look of defeat.

Elsa, wishing she hadn't, had a sudden clarity of the woman's mood and feelings. It wasn't that she was not mad and looking for revenge. Any mother would want that after last night. No, she wanted Elsa dead and likely Anna too. The problem lied in her smaller frame that was clearly no match for Anna in her current form. She doubted her beast form stood much more of a chance. The woman had no outlet to be found here. The only thing she could do was bottle up her rage and let it turn to anguish as she'd never get the revenge she sought. Elsa would continue walking around with Anna as protection. The mother would remain childless and mournful, always wishing she could have stopped her son that fateful night. There was no soothing her and no one in the village would offer solace, as her son met the challenge on his own.

Elsa would remain a product of her son's death, Anna the killer and the mother with nothing to do besides mourn even though the cause of death stood before her.

Suddenly, even though Anna beckoned Elsa inside the hut where there was a fire pit already set up, she didn't feel very hungry.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys. Geez I got to stop saying i'm doing weekly uploads. Honestly i'm having fun writing and since I don't have much going on in life at the moment, I tend to sit back and play games/write all day. So that's why I keep finishing chapters even though I expect to work on them for several days. Enough about me though, lets respond to my awesome reviewers.

Guest (1): Glad you don't mind me shoving chapters down you guys' throats. I do enjoy writing the communication, but I might have trouble with it when they begin going beyond grunts and growls.

JustAnInnocentDevil: Last time I spelled your name I realize it didn't go through properly. I think it was the periods so i'm just going to not add them, I hope you don't mind. But anyway, thanks for the review. I'm glad I effected your day in a good way =D. Also don't worry, I very much enjoy writing and give myself a week to have a chapter uploaded. This makes me feel less pressured and makes me want to write more.

GeekFun: Glad you don't mind early updates because I love doing them. Glad you're liking it and I will certainly write some more.

laryssa1234: Yes, poor mother. Also Elsa is indeed learning a bit more about them. And omg, you like the style? That makes me super happy as I have been very worried i'm writing in a much too rushed manner. Glad you're enjoying it.

Guest (2): Glad you enjoyed. Honestly, I find it a little cliche, but I am very happy that you don't and that it entertains you.

asdf: Another person who says it isn't cliche. Damn, thanks man. It sometimes feels kind of corny to me, but i'm doing my darndest not to go down that route.

DreamWalker: You do? I'm glad. I noticed a lot of stories i've read in this fiction section don't deal in uh... death and gore? I was worried about posting it, assuming everyone would hate that I did this to the characters. However i'm glad you and others are enjoying it.

Sorry for that long A/N, but man you guys sure know how to review and keep a writer happy. Glad you guys are enjoying. Enough of me ruining your immersion though, on with the story.

* * *

Anna had never seen anything so strange. Sure, Elsa had eaten the boar, or at least as much as she could manage, however it was the way she ate it that had Anna shocked and stunned even though they were already back in her home. Anna was combing her hair with a comb made from the rib cage of a smaller animal, her mind still working over what she'd seen Elsa do. The strange girl had stuck a piece of meat, that Anna had to skin for her, onto a stick and held it over the fire that Ooowaayoo had set up for them in his hut that was designed to house a fire pit. It took quite some time before Elsa was willing to eat it, and when she did, the meat had lost its white and red color, turning more gray and brown. It looked dried out as well, having lost its luscious blood and juice. Anna wondered about what other strange habits Elsa might have had.

Elsa, for her part was feeling rather lazy at the moment, having eaten as much of the boar as her stomach would allow. She felt stuffed, content, and warm thanks to Anna's bed pelt around her body. She had been sitting in that strange rat-man's hut for some time, having Anna skin pieces of meat for her to roast over the fire. Maybe it was because she was hungry, or maybe the meat really was exotic, but it had been some of the best meat she'd ever tasted, even without seasonings. Elsa rubbed at her full stomach, feeling like a fat cat who'd just finished dining.

She almost forgot about the current situation she was in, being a captive and all.

That was when she turned to Anna who was still combing her rat's nest of a head. Elsa wondered just how much of a captive she really was. Was Anna truly holding her against her will, or would she follow Elsa if she left. She honestly didn't know. She couldn't tell how well Anna got along with the other villagers. They harmed Elsa at first sight, and Elsa imagined that it was common knowledge that Anna had brought Elsa home. Not to mention how quickly Anna killed the boy from before. Would friends kill one another so easily, did Anna have attachments enough to stay here?

"Anna." Elsa called.

Anna just managed to get a nasty tangle out that threatened to rip her hair from her scalp when Elsa called her. She turned towards the blonde, comb still seeking to fix a mess that would take all morning to fix. Elsa realized that she didn't know the full situation with Anna. The only thing she could think to do was to gain more trust with the girl and to build some sort of relationship.

This would require communication.

"Sssss. Ssss." Elsa pronounced out, letting her tongue rest against the roof of her mouth while she blew out air to create the sound of a snakes hiss.

Anna blinked at her. Was Elsa challenging her?

"Ssss. Ssss." She tried again, hoping Anna would attempt to repeat it.

Anna stared at her blankly for a moment before she dropped her comb and crawled over to Elsa in that monkey-like way that she did in her hut. She looked Elsa dead in the eye.

"Sssss." Elsa tried again. "Sss-"

Anna brought her hand up and smacked Elsa under her chin, effectively clacking her teeth together. The dumbstruck look on Elsa's face made Anna smile, and soon after laugh.

"Ehah." Anna scolded, thinking that Elsa was attempting to challenge her. It was something done to children who challenged their parents when they were too young to be taught harshly. A simple smack under the chin to shut their mouths. This could be followed up with a roar or threat, but Anna felt this was enough, especially after seeing Elsa's face.

And somehow, Elsa understood part of what just happened.

"N-no. I'm not being threatening. I'm trying to get you to pronounce my name. Its Elsa, not Ehah." Elsa said, feeling thoroughly embarrassed after Anna had essentially asserted her dominance.

"Ehah." Anna smiled, not really understanding Elsa, just liking her voice.

Elsa sighed.

"Please, you can do this. It's Elsssa. Elsssa." She tried again, wary this time of a potential swipe from below.

Anna actually did understand this time. It seems Elsa was bothered by the way she pronounced her name. Anna didn't care about the way Elsa pronounced her own name. Elsa could have just called her 'Ahh' and that would have been enough for her. Still, if Elsa was bothered by it, perhaps she should put more effort into it.

The literal hiss she created with her tongue at the back of the roof of her mouth, nearly scared Elsa half to death.

"N-no, not like that." Elsa put her tongue in the right place and opened her mouth to show Anna. She made the sound correctly, even giving off an 'ah' sound at the end to complete it.

Anna ended up putting the middle of her tongue to the roof of her mouth and was unable to create any sound. Elsa sighed and went through the step again with her. This went on for a solid ten minutes before-

"S...sssa." A new sound escaped Anna's lips.

Anna tensed up as Elsa suddenly grabbed her shoulders, smile wide.

"Yes! Yes, like that! Do it again!" Elsa basically commanded in joy, having her first taste of being a teacher with a successful student.

"Ssssa." Anna did it again.

"Yes! Now together. Elsa!" Elsa told her. "Elsa." She said one more time just to get the message across.

Anna looked to be concentrating. "Ehsssah."

Elsa's world crumbled as she realized she forgot the 'L' sound in her name.

"Almost." She simply said, not feeling too distressed since Anna was smiling and seeming to have fun now that she conquered a new syllable.

The next sound didn't take as long, probably due to it being a little easier.

"La." Elsa said.

"Ah… Nnnah… Lllaa."

"That's it! La."

"Llla."

"Now together. Eeelll." She tried to take it slower.

"Ehhlll"

"Sssssaa."

"sssa."

"Now, Elsa." Elsa bit her lip in anticipation.

"Ehllsa. Elsa." Anna repeated.

Elsa reached forward to grab Anna again, feelings of pride bubbling for herself and for Anna. She figured she deserved some of the praise, after all she was teaching someone brand new to a language how to speak. Anna as well deserved praise because she was such a fast learner.

It helped that Elsa was comparing Anna's progress to her two brothers as toddlers when they first tried speaking.

And that was how it went for most of the morning, Elsa attempting to get Anna to speak different words. The girl didn't understand them, but the sounds became easier and easier to produce. Anna, for her part, was enjoying herself. Elsa had never been this active with her before. It made her feel like perhaps Elsa did like her. Maybe she wasn't like the pet bird Anna once had. Maybe she didn't have to worry about Elsa running away if she learned to speak like her and communicate better. She was a long way from understanding Elsa, but she at least tried to grasp what she could.

It was hours later that Elsa tried getting her to do something else that wasn't just copying words.

"Me, Elsa." Elsa placed a hand to her chest. "You, Anna." She touched Anna between her breast.

Anna was much too into their session to notice the way her heart sped up at Elsa touching her so close to what she considered a sensitive area.

Anna touched Elsa's chest, an action that had a whole lot more meaning to Anna then it did to Elsa in the vice versa situation.

"Me, Elsa?"

"No, no." Elsa clicked her tongue, starting to have fun with this. "Me, Elsa." Then she touched Anna's shoulder. "You, Anna. You."

Anna began to get a little frustrated, but it was mostly masked by her excitement to continue 'talking' with Elsa. Truthfully, Anna's mind did not do anything so complex as speech. Hunt, eat, poop, get along with villagers, kill intruders, be strong. That was as far as Anna's mind went. It was a simple life, a happy life. Elsa's life seemed complex, needing to put her food over a fire for long periods of time before eating, having no claws to defend herself, using this strange speech, and most importantly, Anna was almost positive that Elsa could not change forms now. It seemed the girl was always stuck in such a fragile form. Anna had thought she was some small creature at first and perhaps that's why she didn't change. Now she wondered why none of her squadron had changed, why they all stayed so small and helpless while Anna and her people tore them apart. The answer was simple: They couldn't morph. Such strange and complex creatures, Anna was really glad she wasn't like them.

One look at Elsa's big blue eyes and Anna wondered if staying in her humanoid form forever was a possibility if it meant getting close to Elsa.

"You, Anna." Anna said, touching Elsa's chest again, honestly using any excuse to get close to the two orbs of flesh on her chest. She didn't know why she wanted to touch them, but something told her that Elsa would be mad if she did.

"No. Me, Elsa." Then she touched Anna. "Me, Anna." She tried instead.

"Me, Anna." And Anna touched herself.

"Yes! Good!" Although Anna didn't understand the words, she had learned that Elsa's spikes in excitement meant she had done something correct.

"Now… Me, Elsa." She touched herself.

Anna felt as though Elsa was trying to trick her with the wording, so instead she said, "Me, Anna." She touched herself. "You, Elsa." She tried, feeling wrong and awaiting her light scolding that Elsa did whenever she was wrong. Anna had at least learned that 'no' meant she was wrong.

"Yes!" Elsa bounced up, both of them still sitting on the floor, though Elsa was taking up the comfortable bed.

Feeling successful and wanting more praise, Anna said it again. "Me, Anna. You, Elsa."

"That's right. Very good Anna. We'll have you talking in no time." At least that was what Elsa wanted to believe.

Truthfully they spent half the day teaching Anna words. Anna had trouble learning when to say things, not being able to properly put together a sentence. Elsa wasn't the greatest teacher either, not really knowing what else to teach her besides words in general. The best she could do was tell her what things in her hut were called. She taught her to say the words: Tooth, Comb, Bed, Leaf, branch and an assortment of other words she used to best describe something she saw. She didn't know what to call the giant head that was mantled on Anna's wall, a thing she wished to greatly ask about. She taught Anna that it meant 'trophy', and that was as far as she got. Anna didn't beam with pride like Elsa expected when they moved to the trophy, if anything the girl seemed melancholy. Elsa had first assumed it was some strange creature from the forest, but now that she was certain these people could morph, Elsa imagined it was in fact the head of a transformed Half-Beast. Whoever it was, Anna did not seem very proud to have it on her wall.

It was some time during midday that they were interrupted. A call of 'Ahhhma' from outside was all it took to steal away the learning atmosphere that Elsa had created. Anna growled at the voice that called her, moving away toward the hut entrance to look out towards whoever called her. Elsa couldn't see, but Anna growled at whoever it was before moving back inside. She looked regretful for a moment before taking Elsa's arm and pulling her along toward the entrance. Elsa followed, though a little less willingly then she would have liked. Anna dragged her out of the hut, making sure to access the ladder first.

Elsa gulped at the sight of several villagers outside Anna's hut.

She thought to run back inside, but what good would that do her? If they wanted to get to her, then they could easily climb up. In fact, one of them had large insect like wings that were likely capable of flying him up there. She took a deep breath and followed Anna. She convinced herself that it must have been safe, surely it was when Anna was so willing to drag her down as well.

Well… she _tried_ convincing herself anyway.

Once at the bottom of the tree, Elsa turned to see several villagers looking at her, all of them looking rather tough. Some were older, possibly thirty to forty years old, but most seemed young, looking around Elsa's age of twenty. Only one of them greeted Anna with a call of her true name. The rest seemed content with staring Elsa down. The only one Elsa was sure she recognized was the one she assumed to be some sort of leader figure. The tall man that must have been seven feet in height. He was the one who killed her captain, the one with the third eye that looked like a scar in the middle of his forehead.

Nothing was said, simply a staring contest between all of them. Elsa did her best not to participate, staring at the ground, looking at Anna's clawed feet. Eventually, whatever the reason for staring passed. The 'leader' walked away, others following as well. Anna went to follow as well, making sure Elsa stayed close to her. Elsa couldn't say she liked this, but no one had immediately attacked her, and Anna didn't look worried.

What Elsa didn't know was that she was not in any danger. At least not anymore than usual. Anna was a part of the scouts that patrolled the borders of their forest and she was expected to continue to do so even with her new company. She had no problem continuing to do her duty, but she was rather peeved that they'd decided to scout while she was getting along so well with Elsa. Anna loved to see the excitement in Elsa's eyes as they began to try and communicate better. Elsa was so happy, perhaps happy just to have someone to converse with. Anna was still a long ways away from that, and even though it frustrated her trying to learn new words and when they should be used, she was willing to do it, just to see Elsa smile, just to know that Elsa was liking her more and more.

Anna, the ignorant beast, had mistaken Elsa desire to escape for something entirely different.

Eventually, deeper into the forest, The party began to split away from one another, all of them having different areas to look into before meeting back up. Anna took her normal route, making sure Elsa was following behind her as she discreetly sniffed at the air and listened for anything abnormal. While Elsa had the notion that Anna was looking for human intruders, in truth Anna looked for more than just that. There were large beasts in the forest, some that even Anna considered monsters compared to her own people. Sometimes the scouts would have to get together to chase off the larger predators to keep them away from the village and other times they'd have to band together to chase off packs of animals that, while smaller, were still a threat to the weaker members of the village. Unlike what Elsa thought, not everyone in the village was a fighter. Some were small, some were smart and invented tools to help, some were like ooowaayoo, who learned to make fire and shared it with those who needed warmth in the colder times. As for Anna? She wasn't particularly good at making tools or learning in general, but she could fight, and her beast form was a lot bigger than most others.

While Anna searched for something that could potentially threaten her village, Elsa looked around at her surroundings, eyebrows furrowed as she thought she recognized the area. She could have been wrong, but she was sure she heard a waterfall. It just so happened that her squadron had passed a waterfall before being attacked. She remembered because she wished the laws of physics allowed her to simply swim up the waterfall instead of having to climb up the nearby rocky hills in a suit of armor. It sounded far away, but Elsa wasn't very sure, she had been hearing it for awhile, meaning they were perhaps circling it. She wanted to run off, to go see just what it was, but one look at Anna was all it took to make her see reason.

You don't turn your back and run from a predator that can chase you down.

For all Elsa knew, Anna's animal instincts could kick in if the girl ran. She didn't fully believe this would happen, having seen how docile Anna was around her and her will to protect, but still. Anna once knew a neighbor with a cat, a very nice cat that let everyone pet it. It seemed docile, seemed okay, but then, one day out of nowhere, the cat scratched someone. It had been a toddler, a little kid who went to rub the cat, only to be blinded in one eye after the cat sunk its claws into the child's face, hissing all the while. Elsa had witnessed it, and she knew then that animals could turn the other cheek just as quickly as they were to show you the other. They had no logic, no reason, only instinct.

She seemed to forget that Anna was, even if only partly, human.

It was probably around two hours of walking all together before Elsa was back in the village. Anna had found nothing on her walk, and the others didn't seem to have anything to report once they met up in the woods where they originally broke off. The walk back was in silence, and once entering the village, they all left without a word to one another. Elsa wondered if it was always like this, or if her presence was causing some sort of rift or something. She hoped it wouldn't involve Anna being outcast from her village. However, the thought was quickly perished as she remembered that she was not friends with Anna, that Anna kidnapped her and held her hostage. She tried to ignore the good that Anna had done, always trying to put something selfish with it. Anna had only tried to feed her because she didn't want her hostage to die. She only protected her because she wanted to keep her plaything. Anna would eventually lose interest in her, and then what? She would be fed to the villagers, heart ripped out and body torn into for sustenance. She didn't want to die like that, she couldn't die like that.

And although something in her mind kept poking at her, telling her that Anna was a friend, she denied it and buried it away. She needed to escape, to be free of this village where one wrong step could end up with her dead.

Elsa stuck to that thought, thinking of the waterfall and wondering how she was going to get to it.

It was late at night, Anna snoring off in her corner and Elsa sleeping on the bed, warm with Anna's pelt. After they'd gotten home, Anna had tried to get Elsa to engage in teacher her again, but Elsa seemed distant for some reason, the girl unwilling to participate. She had no way of knowing that Elsa was trying to convince herself to stay away from Anna, to continue thinking of ways to escape from her. Had she had wolf ears like her beast form, they would have wilted at the cold way Elsa ignored her. She wondered why Elsa had these random moments, wondered why she seemed willing to follow Anna and talk to Anna one minute and then be distant or angry with her another. Anna, not understanding the complexity of the situation or Elsa's real feelings, simply sat in her corner thinking of ways to befriend her until nightfall hit and she fell asleep.

Elsa had fallen asleep, unaware of Anna's turmoil and most certainly unaware of the person creeping towards the tree from the village, climbing up the grooves in the wood.

Elsa awoke to a hand on her mouth and something sharp at her neck. She nearly screamed, calls for Anna at the tip of her tongue, however something strange happened, something she didn't think could ever happen in this village.

Someone spoke to her.

"You… want leave? Want out?" The voice was feminine, voice uncertain as though they weren't sure they were speaking correctly.

Elsa wondered if she was dreaming a terrifying, yet very exciting nightmare.

"Speak. Want out?" They whispered.

Elsa blinked, unable to see in the darkness of the night, the moonlight not being enough to shine into Anna's tree. Elsa gave a nod of her head and a muffled yes. She wondered if someone had found her, if someone had come to save her.

"Good. I take hand back. You no speak until we away. Ahhma big sleeper, but bad to take chance." She whispered one last time, taking away her hand and whatever sharp thing was against Elsa's throat.

Elsa was so grateful that she didn't dare to question what was going on. There was someone else here. Someone else who could speak. They could escape together if they worked with one another. Elsa smiled as she followed her rescuer outside. She gave one more look towards Anna's corner, finding darkness and the sound of snoring. One outside her rescuer quickly descended the ladder, much to fast for Elsa to see a face. She followed after, trying to be as silent as she could as she went down. It wasn't until Elsa hit the ground, rescuer standing behind her, that she realized the person called her 'Ahhma'.

"You..." Elsa said, looking shocked at the sight once she turned around and saw who it was.

"Quickly, we go. Come or stay." Said the mother of a recently deceased child.

The mother quickly turned away, walking towards the woods as silently as she could. Elsa stared in surprise for a moment before following. She didn't understand. How was this woman talking? No one in this village even hinted at knowing a language. None of them talked, only growls and hisses being the way to communicate. Even the way they acted hinted that they did not use language to understand one another. Instead of talking, they stood near one another when wanting company. The village was always silent, the only sounds being those who were working. And her most prime example was Anna, who communicated in baby sounds and growls. The girl couldn't possibly know even a slice of English, yet there was someone in the village who talked to her, who snuck her outside and was trying to help her escape.

Someone whose child was burned after his death.

"Wait. How can you speak? No one seems to understand me, and yet you can speak." Elsa asked, wholly confused.

"I learn from mother. She learn from mother. Always learn from mother." She said simply, moving further into the woods, trying to get them out of sight of the village.

"But no one else speaks." Elsa said, unable to wrap her head around it.

"They no teach. They like their way. A lot like their way. Too many, so talk is bad. Teaching is bad. No one teach, so no one learn. Few talk now, always secret. Teach to child, no one else." She said, suddenly stopping once she realized she realized they were out of sight of the village.

"You speak my language though… how?" Elsa was getting a weird feeling in her stomach, the world she thought she was beginning to understand made no sense.

The mother chortled darkly. "You see animal, yes? You wrong. We like you, always. We change for forest, change for strong."

Elsa finally noticed the sharp object that had been placed to her throat was the same spear she tried stealing from the storage hut before. The woman held it tightly, grip so strong that Elsa wondered if she could break it.

"What..." Elsa swallowed, staring at the spear. "What do you mean?"

The mother looked Elsa dead in her eyes and finally Elsa could see the simmering anger, the redness from tears, and the one thing that was being communicated through eye contact alone.

She wanted her dead.

"I teach son. He not like. Want to become strong. Want to become leader. I no like, but love him. I tell him is okay. I watch him grow daytime, nighttime. He grow strong, stronger than father. He still want leader. I tell him is okay." Her face took on murderous rage. "You come. You come here. You and Ahhma. Son only want to test strength, to be strong. Leader never approve of Ahhma and you. Son try to be like leader, try do what leader does not do. Then… then you and Ahhma… you kill son, you kill baby. Young, he young." And suddenly she looked like the sad mother that Elsa knew from earlier. She looked ready to break down, tears already falling as she could barely finish the words.

Elsa's hands came up, like she wanted to console her, but truthfully she didn't know why they came up. She couldn't console this woman. Nothing she said would bring her any comfort. Elsa was a product of her son's death. No, perhaps her hands came up in defense, a small stance to get ready for what she knew must be coming. The woman had lured her out here to kill her. She didn't look very strong, but she didn't need to be when she had a weapon and Elsa did not.

"Please… I didn't…" Elsa said, feeling sorry, but feeling more of a need to survive.

The mother looked to Elsa again, small smile slowly spreading on her face.

"You take son… You take baby… Now take you." And then she gripped the spear with both hands.

Elsa screamed, screamed for Anna, but it was drowned out by the overpowering yell of the woman next to her. Elsa put her hands up to defend herself as the woman lifted the spear up with two hands. The spear came down, sound of flesh being pierced and Elsa gasped.

"Now you… gone." The final words Elsa would ever hear from her.

The woman slumped to the ground, body falling to the forest floor on her back. The spear sticking out of her chest that she'd pierced. She died mere seconds after, all the while staring at Elsa. The final smile on her face that came with the sounds of roars from the village, told Elsa everything she needed to know.

The woman could have killed Elsa… could have stabbed her there… but then what? Anna would still be alive, her son's murderer. Why take one when you could kill both. Her final scream was not one of pain, but one to alert the villagers of something amiss. They would find her, find the spear, they would instantly look to Elsa. She would be killed by others… and Anna… Anna would follow as well after going berserk on the villagers who killed her.

One sacrifice for the price of revenge on two others.

The roars from the village got louder as multiples were hard now, all of them smelling the blood that seeped from her chest and running to find out what happened.

Elsa had been a fool to follow.

Elsa snatched up the spear, feet pounding against the forest floor as her legs carried her away from the scene. She could already hear them behind her, her the painful screeches and the nasty snap of bone as the others found the body and began to transform. She ran, breath coming out in heavy puffs from the adrenaline. She knew they'd catch onto her scent, perhaps even catch onto the flesh and blood that was soaked onto her spear. She ran as it was the only option available to her, there would be no talking, no words to defend herself. They would tear into her, rip her apart and feast upon her for what they assumed she did. Even Anna, her protector, could possibly be part of the group gathering to hunt her down. Who was she to Anna but a plaything to keep around? She would be murdered if Anna suspected her of what happened. Elsa would be just like her neighbors cat who was stomped to death by the father of the child that lost his eye.

Something flew by her head, air hissing by until a thump sounded in a tree next to her. Briefly as she sprinted by, she recognized the object as the same one that had pierced through the throat of the first ever person she'd seen die. She needed no one to tell her how deadly they were, images of the man's throat swelling filled her vision. Her legs kept moving, more air whistling as more projectiles were flung at her. Some stuck into trees, others landing on the ground near her feet. Elsa had actually accidentally dodged the last one as she nearly tripped over a vine along the ground, the projectile flying where her neck would have been. There was a growl behind her but she didn't stop, refusing to let her last moments on this earth be her dying when she still had some steam left in her.

It hardly mattered when something suddenly swooped down from over head and knocked into her, sending her tumbling to the ground, knees and elbows being scrapped along the forest floor, arms being scratched by a nearby bush. Elsa was quick to stand, but her pursuers were quicker to surround her. Suddenly she found herself between two different beasts, all of both looking menacing. The flap of insect like wings overhead let her know there was a third as well. Above her was a giant insect like creature with oversized wings for its six foot long body and fat abdomen. Around her were mammals of some kind, or perhaps reptile. It was too dark to tell. She was sure though that they walked along four legs, like most animals. Elsa took up her spear, aiming at any who stepped too close. It instantly reminded her of being surrounded by the villagers on her first night here. The only difference was that they were now large beasts. She wondered briefly where the rest were, sure that more than three would have followed her. Maybe their beast forms were not meant for running, perhaps she had only been caught by the faster species.

She hopped that with speed, came a lack of strength.

Elsa swung out at one, stabbing her spear at it as she missed the initial strike. The strange behemoth backed away, swiping at her spear to try and rid her of it. The other one, the second beast on the ground, circled her and lunged for her back. Elsa barely moved out of the way, and with a stroke of luck, managed to stab her spear into its side as it missed. The beast wailed, whipping about and backing away. Elsa barely held onto her spear from the brief thrashing, luckily hanging onto it as it did not go deep enough to stick itself in the beast's flesh. The first beast lunged at her while she was off guard. Her Mind fearful but body wanting to survive, causing her to fight back, she went to stab, tried to go for an eye, only for the beast to vanish from her sight.

And by vanish, she meant it was knocked away so fast that she almost didn't see.

The beast tumbled away, something else attached to it, biting into its neck.

"Anna!" Elsa called out, instantly recognizing her large frame.

Anna was transformed, jaw locked around the neck of the one that tried lunging at Elsa. She'd drove into him, mind locked on one thing: Protect Elsa. There was a crunch of bone as Anna bit down as hard as she could and twisted the beast's neck, killing him instantly. She roared triumphantly and in warning to the other two present. The beast from before that walked on his legs, the one Elsa stabbed, backed away, not ready to take on such an opponent by himself. The insect overhead seemed more for scouting and less for fighting as it flew away.

"Anna!" Elsa ran over, body acting on instinct to the one that has protected her.

Elsa suddenly found herself scooped up, Anna dipping down and using her muzzle to tip Elsa over onto her nose before lifting her head up and depositing Elsa onto her back, right between Anna's four tendrils. Without a word she began to walk off, picking up her pace until Elsa grabbed onto as much fur as she could to hold on. That was when Anna took off in a sprint. Elsa wondered briefly what was going on. That was until she heard the roars that came from behind.

Anna was running.

There were too many. Anna seemed quite the capable fighter, but even she couldn't handle an entire village. Anna didn't know what was going on. One moment she was asleep, the next there was a scream. Anna smelled something strange in her home, a smell that didn't belong to her or Elsa. She rushed outside, following the scent, only to find other villagers surrounding the dead mother whose child Anna killed. At first there was confusion, but it had only lasted a moment as she realized Elsa's scent went deeper into the forest. Others had already run after her, Anna could smell it. With limited intelligence, Anna ran off after Elsa, changing into her beast form as she ran along the forest floor, crawling when the pain became to much, but never stopping. Eventually she reached full form, the pain present, but bearable. She ran, running past the slower beasts who had chased Elsa. She caught up to a small group, one of them firing off barbs at Elsa, trying to hit her. Anna knew all about them, knew that it only took one to poison the target and leave them dying. Sure, it wasn't all that effective against larger beasts, but for one so small as Elsa, all it would take was one pinch of the barb.

Anna had to create a distraction to get them away.

Elsa, braid whipping in the wind, gasped as she felt something wet on Anna's back. She brought a hand up, finding it bloody. Elsa looked and realized that Parts of Anna were wet and damp, blood dripping from wounds she had acquired. Elsa almost questioned it, however Anna wouldn't understand her and she doubted the girl could speak in this form anyway. How had Anna gotten injured? The brief tumble from before could not have done this much damage to her. Elsa however knew already, knew in the back of her mind that the only way Anna would have gotten injured was in defense of her. It explained why there were only three beasts that managed to catch up to her. The others were all too busy dealing with the traitor, the one who chose Elsa over their own.

"I'm sorry." And Elsa meant it, not strictly because of the pain Anna must be going through from her wounds, but for doubting her. She had thought Anna just a beast, thought her as just a monster that was using Elsa. Truthfully she still thought Anna was more animal than man, but she couldn't deny that Anna wanted her safe. She wouldn't doubt that anymore, she wouldn't doubt that Anna cared for her.

Anna was giving up everything she knew to keep her safe.

Elsa suddenly found herself being assaulted. The giant bug from before came back, swooping down and pushing at Elsa, trying to knock her off Anna's back. To fall off meant death, as Elsa could hear more foot falls behind them. The others were chasing, waiting for Anna to slip up so they could rip both her and Elsa apart. The bug swooped again, knocking into Elsa and nearly knocking her off. A tendril whipped out, trying to hit the bug, but that was all. Elsa expected them to charge full of energy, to be more accurate like the day Elsa saw Anna use them before. She realized however that Anna couldn't see, her face staying looking straight ahead to navigate the forest. She was swinging blindly at the air behind her, trying to find a mark. As for the electricity form before, Elsa imagined that might not be the best with her on Anna's back. Elsa remembered the spear in her hand and swung out at the bug when it swooped at her again. She missed, nearly being taken off Anna's back again. Anna kept up her brutal pace that had Elsa jostling on her back, unable to slow down or else she'd have to come face to face with however many people were chasing them. Elsa had just gotten readjusted when she saw the bug going for another push. She stuck her spear out, unable to gain much thrust due to her position. Her aim was true however as the bug impaled itself, squealing in a way that Elsa didn't know bugs could do before falling. The weight was too much and the spear too deep. Elsa had to let go, letting her spear fall with her down opponent.

Elsa clutched onto Anna as they pushed through the forest. It was sometime later full of jostling and Anna jumping over or weaving through obstacles that Elsa heard the sound of the waterfall.

"The water… Anna! The water!" She yelled.

Anna didn't understand, continuing to run. Elsa, thinking fast, grabbed Anna on the side of her neck that was towards the direction she heard the water, she pulled as hard as she could, trying to steer the mighty beast. Anna growled, changing direction, at least understanding that Elsa had somewhere specific in mind, something Anna didn't. So Anna ran, guided by Elsa until they came to a clearing, a long river of water that led to a waterfall. Elsa guided Anna towards the waterfall, not really knowing what she wanted to do, but knowing that it was the direction towards the city, towards home.

They reached the end, having to stop, Anna turned ready to face her former villagers. Truthfully she would have kept running, but her stamina was running low and her wounds ached. She couldn't run anymore, but she wouldn't just let them kill her and Elsa without a fight. Elsa looked around, seeing no one. She wondered if they had stopped chasing, that is until Anna roared in challenge. Elsa watched as beast after beast left the woods and entered the clearing, all of them staring Anna down. One lead the charge, a large and hairy beast that walked on four legs. It's tail reminded Elsa of a scorpion, coiled at the back and aimed towards the front of the body. At the end however was no stringer, but a ball full of spikes. Some spikes were missing, and upon closer examination, Elsa realized that this was due to them being fired off. This was the one, the creature that could fire poisonous barbs from its tail with deadly accuracy.

Anna stood, breathing heavily, blood flowing out of her with a steady trickle. She snarled, growling at her enemies, letting them know that she refused to be an easy kill. While Anna was ready to fight, Elsa was looking for a way out. She thought about telling Anna to break to the left, to try running around the waterfall and back the way her squadron had once passed through. However the rocky area was not easy to navigate and would take a long time to get down. Anna was in no condition to navigate its rough surface anyway. That was when she turned to look down the waterfall. She nearly gulped at the thought she had, but knew it was either this or die fighting.

"We've got to jump, Anna." She whispered, not knowing why, Anna didn't understand her and it seemed as though there were very few villagers who spoke, if there really were anymore besides the mom from before.

Anna growled.

"We've got to jump, Anna!" She pulled on Anna's fur, trying to get her to notice the waterfall to the side of them.

Anna planted her feet and prepared to fight.

Not knowing what else to do, Elsa jumped off Anna's back, their enemies getting closer and closer, all of them cautious of Anna even in her weakened state. Elsa jumped stood next to the rushing waters, turning back to Anna one more time.

"Anna!" A call for attention.

Anna turned.

Elsa jumped into the rushing waters and fell over the waterfall.

Elsa was suddenly lost in a torrent of water before feeling herself falling. She yelled, screamed, flailed her arms, just about everything expected of someone desperate enough to jump off a waterfall. Eventually she crashed into the waters below, narrowly missing a jagged rock as her body was thrown around by the torrents of water. She rose to the surface, unscathed besides a growing headache from the rush. She breathed heavily, looking up the water fall.

"Anna!" She called, mouth spitting out water.

There was a loud splash some feet away from her that sent out a ripple that pushed her away. Elsa began to swim over to the splash, hurrying to try and help Anna out of the water, though she didn't know how she'd handle such a massive beast.

A furry head emerged from the water instead. Elsa screamed at the site of the scorpion tailed beast she'd seen before. The beast bit at her, missing narrowly due to it being in the water, trying to swim and fight her at the same time. Elsa swam away just as a second body came crashing down, this one slamming into the beast from above. Roars were heard and fighting ensued in the water. Elsa swam away until she reached land. She climbed up, clothes wet and heavy and she turned to see Anna and the beast from before fighting in the water.

"Anna!" She called. She just wanted Anna to come out of the water and run. It would be so much easier to escape one beast rather than a whole village.

That was when Elsa heard a pathetic roar, one that sounded so weak, so hurt, a dying kind of sound. Elsa gasped at the sight of Anna going limp in the water, the scorpion-beast being triumphant as one of its barbs dug into Anna's back leg.

"No…" Elsa said weakly.

The beast turned to her now, finished with Anna as it stepped onto land, Anna's body washing up on land, unmoving. Elsa backed away, fear entering her mind now that she had no weapon to fight with and no protector to fight for her. She was left alone now, weaponless against a massive behemoth.

She looked at Anna's body again, feeling strange at the sight. Her fingers tingled, feeling cold all of a sudden.

The beast stepped forward, Elsa stepped back and tripped, falling on her bottom. It growled at her, taking its approach slow, wanting her to feel as much fear as possible before it killed her.

The tingling in Elsa's fingers spread to her arms. She realized she'd felt this once before.

"No… not again." A new fear, one she hadn't experienced since she was but a small child.

The beast lunged.

"I said, no!" Elsa screamed, throwing her right arm out towards the beast.

The sound of piercing flesh.

A weak bellow of pain.

Elsa stared in shock at the large icicle that jutted from the ground, stabbing into the beast's chest. The beast whined and writhed on the ice, trying to pry itself off. Elsa watched, barely able to breath as the beast began changing forms, a desperate and last attempt to escape. Elsa saw it… no _her _morph into a young woman that couldn't have been just a few years older than Elsa. She cried, body full of pain from the transformation and the icicle that pierced her lunge. Tears fell as blood dripped, her final gasps ones of desperation as she died on the ice.

Elsa sat stunned for nearly a minute before she remembered something.

"Anna." She weakly called.

Elsa stood, running over to Anna's body. She bent down, placing her hands on the cold beast that washed up on land.

"Anna…" She felt heat behind her eyes, tears ready to fall.

A whimper.

Elsa gasped, looking up to see Anna's eyes opened and looking at her. The weakened beast girl whimpered again. The pain from the poison was so great as it spread throughout her whole body. The barb had stuck into her leg, one of the better places as the poison would not reach her head from there. The poison was a quick killer, the fact that Anna still lived, meant it would not finish her off, but the pain would remain for who knows how long.

"Oh, Anna. I'm sorry." Elsa apologized. "I didn't do it though. I swear I didn't kill her." She told her, begging for forgiveness for everything that had happened. She wanted Anna to know that she didn't mean for this to happen, wanted her to know that she didn't kill the mother from before.

Anna just blinked at her, a low growl leaving canine lips.

The two sat there for a moment, Elsa doing her best not to cry on Anna, while Anna did her best to stay alive. It was when Elsa felt the water rise up and touch her with its cold grasp that she realized that Anna was still partially submerged.

"You have to transform back." Elsa told her, wanting to pull Anna out of the water. Of course Anna didn't respond with anything but a pathetic growl compared to her normal one. "Please, Anna." Elsa begged her to understand as she began trying to pull the great behemoth of a girl.

Anna grumbled pathetically. At first Elsa didn't think she would, but soon her body began to change, bones snapping grotesquely, putting her in more pain than she already was in. Elsa waited until Anna was back to human form before pulling her naked body from the water. Anna gave a whimper in human form that dared to break Elsa's heart.

"You can't die on me, Anna. You're tougher then that. I know you are." She told her, just trying to get Anna to stay awake really. She'd heard somewhere that it wasn't good to fall asleep if you were badly injured or cold.

Anna didn't respond, but her open eyes and chest that moved with every breath. let Elsa know she was awake.

"I'm not going to let you die, Anna. I'm going to take you home, just like you did for me." It was a promise, one she planned to keep.

Elsa reached down did her best to get Anna on her back. The city wasn't far. She could get help there. Elsa tossed Anna onto her back and began to move, finding the girl heavier than she looked.

And move Elsa did.

Elsa walked for nearly an hour, sometimes stumbling, sometimes falling and needing to take a rest. All the while though she would talk to Anna, force her to respond to try and keep her awake. Anna was covered in blood and it was flowing out of her in drops. It wasn't nearly as bad as her beast form, but Elsa knew she would die if left uncared for. So she forced herself to walk, kept going even when her legs screamed for her to stop, kept going even when she fell and hurt herself. Her drive to go forward being triggered with every breath she felt on her neck from Anna, every whimper or growl she got from the girl whenever she talked to her. Anna had gone above and beyond to prove that she cared for Elsa, and so Elsa would do the same.

It was sometime later that Elsa recognized light, recognized torches lit around the city. She walked all the way to the front gates until she was stopped by the guards who brandished spears at her. After everything she'd been through, the spears meant very little to her. Instead she just fell to her knees, too tired to go on and gave one final word.

"Please… help her."

She blacked out.

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A/N: I kind of just remembered that this story was supposed to take place during a cold winter... please shame me as I start to include that in newer chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This took a little longer to finish and i'm still not very happy with the chapter. It could have been more detailed, but knowing myself, If i start picking things apart i Will just rewrite the whole chapter. Honestly I didn't feel like it =(, sorry if this one isn't as good as others.

GeekFun: Edge of your seat? Wow, now that's a compliment, especially considering its writing and not a movie. Thanks for that!

Laryssa1234: Want to know a secret? Honestly in the original second chapter, they never went to Anna's village. It started off with the two alone and in the forest and they would eventually reach town, the reasoning being that Anna didn't trust her people not to kill her. BUT, i quite enjoyed the idea of giving people a brief look into how Anna lived before shoving the two into town. Oh and yes, the story goes on in winter, i'm just a bad writer who forgot to mention the climate lol.

Guest: Definitely hooked? Oh boy the pressure is on to keep my readers happy now. Look forward to more!

Nemo: Your wait is over my friend, here is the next chapter.

Guest (2): that's right, Elsa has ice in this one. More Elsanna moments? Well we can't do without that, expect more in the future =D.

DreamWalker: Last chapter certainly had much happen, but what shall happen in the city and beyond now? This is the part where I do my evil laugh and make you wait for updates :).

Nara375: I understood your message perfectly =). Yes, Anna does have beast parts. Eyes like a snake, horns that draw back towards her head, tendrils on her back and two nice rows of sharp teeth. You would think she had a tail... huh, I wonder why I didn't include that.

JustAnInnocentDevil: Because i'm a sick person who kills lots of people in my story, that is why you have a bad feeling. Nah i'm kidding, who knows what will happen, guess you have to read this recent update to find out =).

I hope I didn't miss any reviews, you guys have been killing it with that. Now... On with the story!

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Elsa awoke to the sounds of training, men making the sounds of grunts and groans as weapons clashed together. She stared briefly at an unfamiliar ceiling. Elsa turned her head to see she was in a room she didn't recognize, and one that looked mighty expensive compared to the modest home she lived in with her family. There was actually carpet, something she'd never seen in a room before. The carpet was a deep red, looking even darker when compared to the painted white walls around her. She noticed a fancy looking dresser and wardrobe within the room as well. A large mirror sat beside the wardrobe, a desk by the window, a finely carved chair pushed in at the desk.

This was definitely unfamiliar.

Elsa arose with great caution, scared that she might break something in whomever owned this expensive mansion, and it must have been a mansion. There was no way a room of this size, that was nearly the same size as her home's living room, could belong in a normal house. She realized she was on a bed, a bed that was quite possibly made from the very clouds themselves. She quickly got off of course, worried that her old and dirtied clothes would stain the sheets. Elsa had never imagined she could be this nervous.

She remembered bloody roars and a fight for her life.

Well… maybe she could be this nervous.

Elsa realized she must have been saved, that she had indeed passed out in front of the city. Where she was now though, she was not sure. She noticed the two large windows with the curtains drawn and made her way over. She moved them aside, taking a look outside. She found herself looking way down, her room apparently being placed on a high floor of the mansion. Only, she wasn't in a mansion. As she looked down and noticed soldiers walking around and some of them training in duels, she realized just where she was.

The castle.

Elsa let go of the curtain, now even more worried that she might ruin something. She failed at an attempt to not touch the carpet with her dirty shoes, looking ridiculous as she lifted her feet over and over and an attempt to float.

A knock at the door stilled her.

"Mr. Larsa?" Someone called.

Elsa didn't respond at first, wondering just who the heck Larsa was.

"Mr. Larsa? Are you awake, sir?"

Elsa nearly slapped herself as she remembered the fake name she gave to the people of the castle, to the soldiers so she could join them.

"Y-yes, I'm awake." Elsa called, voice a bit too deep to sound real.

The door opened.

In walked a balding man who was on the heftier side of body types. He was dressed finely in servant clothes, looking like a butler or servant to a royal.

Elsa stared at his big nose.

"Ah, Mr. Larsa. It is good you are awake. It has been quite some time and people have begun to wonder whether Sir Kristoff has left the castle completely." The man said.

"Oh… um… who are you?" Elsa asked, not really understanding the information he gave her.

"I am Kai, sir. A royal servant." He told her, speaking properly and sounding like he'd done this introduce many times in his life.

"Oh… Hi, Kai." Elsa said, still trying to maintain her _manly _voice.

Kai blinked at her. "Hello and good morning, sir."

Elsa continued staring at him, wondering if she was supposed to say something more.

"I take it you are confused, sir?" He asked after a moment.

"Maybe a tad." Elsa fiddled with her fingers, for some reason feeling like she was standing in the presence of a real royal. She had never met anyone with such high class. Even Sir Kristoff spoke more like a peasant, usually dressed like one too when not in his knight armor.

Kai gave a simple nod. "You were found some three days ago, right outside-"

"Three days?!" Elsa let out accidentally.

"Three days, sir." He answered, giving Elsa a moment before continuing. "You were found right outside the city gates. You and the captive were brought in. Sir Kristoff just so happened to be running errands, as he does sometimes, and spotted the guards carrying you in. He vouched for who you were and had you brought here, where you've been asleep for three days." Kai finished.

Three days. Elsa had been asleep for three days. Like she was ought to do at times, Elsa panicked, wondering what happened in those three days. She wondered if her family was still okay, she wondered if they had gotten any of the money that Elsa was supposed to make while working in the army. She hoped her father was doing well and not breaking his back looking for several jobs to do. There was also the matter that she had been left for three days lying in a bed. Had someone discovered she was a girl yet? Had Kristoff noticed when he found her? Would she be fired from the army, or worse, would she be hung at the gallows for impersonating a male.

Wait…

"Did you say captive?" Elsa asked.

"I believe that is the exact term I used, sir." He answered.

That could only be one person. "Where is she? Is she okay?!" Elsa asked, suddenly forgetting her troubles and running up to him.

He blinked, surprised and caught off guard for the first time. "I do believe the monster is being kept alive, sir."

Monster. That was what he said. Monster. It was a term Elsa used to use for Anna, something she used to think about her. She knew better now, Anna was no monster, just a loyal friend.

"Where?" Elsa clenched her jaw, so very tempted to yell at him for referring to her as such a thing.

"I would presume in the dungeons."

"Where is that? Take me there." Elsa demanded.

"I'm afraid that is not possible at the current time, sir."

"And why not?"

"She is being prepped for execution." He answered.

Elsa's shoulders dropped, eyes going wide. "Execution?" A weak whisper.

"Yes. The monster is to be executed in front of a crowd at the plaza."

Elsa pushed past him, briefly turning around to ask one question.

"How do I get out of this place?!" She frantically asked.

Kai directed her in a quick manner, though Elsa found out she hadn't listened hard enough when she ended up asking several people she passed by the same question. She got lost for a good ten minutes at one point before finding someone else to ask. She hated to think about how much time it took for her to run through the halls, before she finally exited the doors of the castle. The guards at the front gate watched her leave in a rush, briefly wondering if she had stolen something and if they should chase her down. They both looked to one another and decided.

They weren't paid enough to be chasing thieves down in full armor.

Elsa ran down the main road, knowing that the main road to the castle lead directly to the plaza. Elsa wasn't much for visiting the city, rarely did she leave the small part of home that she knew which sat on the edge of the city. Still, she had heard tales of the way to Arendelle castle. She ran down the main road, feet and legs working just as hard as they did when her own life was in danger. It was cold, she knew, thanks to the way her breath came out as a mist in front of her, but even though she was in simple pair of ruined trousers and shirt, the cold didn't bother her.

She wondered if she was too late when she noticed the huge crowd that was gathered. So many were there that they spilled out of the plaza, a lot of them trying to stand tall to see what was going on. There was a man yelling, gathering the attention of the crowd. The words 'beast' and 'monster' being thrown around like candy to rile the crowd up. Elsa prayed she wasn't too late as she began pushing through people.

"Excuse me, please move, please I need to get through." Elsa recited to person after person that she pushed through.

"The monster comes from the black woods, a Half-Beast true and through. Look at its horns, its eyes, its teeth! Why, I am surprised the beast has no tail. However look at its tentacles! How could we let such a monster into our city and live! So very close to the castle!" A man yelled, standing atop the wooden gallow where people were hung.

Elsa finally got close enough to get a clear view, and all her nightmares came true. There was Anna, looking angry and tired, weak it seems from not only her earlier wounds she acquired helping Elsa, but from whatever torture she was put through in the dungeons. They had given Anna a raggedy cloak to hide her nudity, but it was then and hardly fit for this kind of weather. Around her hands and wrist were thick shackles, shackles that were more effective than the people realized. Elsa knew, had seen the way Anna transformed and knew that the girl could do no such thing with the metal around her. Instead she snapped at them with teeth and claw when they put the noose around her neck. A guard hitting her on the back of the head with the guard of his sword. Anna nearly fell, but was held up by the rope, force to stand and await for them to drop the floor beneath her.

"Wait!" Elsa called.

Her calls were drowned out by the loud crowd, all of them cheering, all of them wanting the monster put down. Elsa pushed through them until a tall and burly man was in her way. Her attempt to push past him was met with disdain as the man turned and told her to watch from where she was. Elsa took a lesson from Anna and growled at him, grabbing his arm and pushing him as hard as she could. Surprisingly he moved, eyes wide as Elsa continued running toward the gallows.

She was unaware of the frost that was left on the man's arm.

"Wait! Stop!" Elsa screamed as she made it to the gallows, being stopped by the guards. The one yelling out and riling up the crowd noticed her and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you mad woman? Stay back before the beast tears into your pale flesh!" He told her.

"She's no beast!" Elsa yelled.

The crowd stopped, no longer being riled by the man and appalled by the statement Elsa threw out with so much confidence.

That was when Anna noticed Elsa.

"Elsa! You, Elsa! Elsa!" She called out, trying to rip away from the rope and break her bindings. Another guard hit her to force her to stop.

"Hey! Stop it! She's not a monster! Let her go!" Elsa yelled.

"You would defend this creature? You are mad!" The instigator told her, a laugh at the end.

"I said she is not a creature!"

"She says that it is no creature!" He yelled to the crowd, garnering hateful cries and a few laughs. "And just what is she then?" He asked Elsa, leaning down as if her opinion really mattered to him.

Elsa stared back, furious, wondering what she could say to get these ignorant people to see reason. Anna wasn't some monster who was going to go on a rampage and eat all of them. She was just a girl, a very strong and scary looking girl, but a girl no less. What could she say, what was believable and what would wipe that smug smile off this stupid man's face.

"She's… She's mine!" Elsa told him.

"Yours?" A baffled look.

"I've tamed her! It has taken me years, but I have tamed her! She was brought to the city on my back and do I look eaten to you?!" She yelled.

Elsa hoped that because no one in the city knew her face, that she could be believed to be some foreign animal tamer from afar. It was ridiculous, a stupid thing to say, but if all they saw was a monster, an animal, then what else could she say to make them see reason.

Surprisingly the man looked thoughtful at this.

"Enough! You lie! There is no way such a thing like this can be tamed. Release the floor!" He yelled.

"Wait!"

That wasn't Elsa, but a new voice, one that held power and sway over the crowd the moment they heard it. The man on stage paused, looking toward where he heard the voice. Shiny armor and a handsome mug left he crowd and jumped on stage.

"If they say they are a tamer, then let it be shown." The new person spoke up.

Elsa did not recognize the man. However she knew a knight when she saw one. His armor was fancy and heavy looking, sword with a glittering jewel in the middle of the guard where it was sheathed at his side. His hair was somewhat long, tied in a small pony tail towards the end. His eyes were blue and his upper torso huge, the man looking like he bench pressed cows on his spare time.

The man gave a look to the guards that held Elsa back, a movement of his head to signal they get out of the way. They did, letting Elsa rush up on stage where Anna was.

"Larsa?!" A voice called.

Behind her someone else emerged from the crowd, yet another knight, this one she recognized.

"Sir, Kristoff." Elsa said.

Kristoff, the hulking blonde, quickly stepped over to Elsa, grabbing her with a gauntlet clad hand and pulling her away from Anna before she could reach her. Anna saw this and growled, lashing out once more, thinking this man was here to take Elsa away.

"Are you crazy?" Kristoff whispered harshly.

"Trust me, and don't blow my cover! She's not what you think." Elsa whispered back.

She went to walk towards Anna again, Kristoff pulling her back once more. The crowd going antsy at seeing Anna fight so hard to get out of her restraints. Cries for 'kill the beast' and 'get that idiot off the stage' were called out.

"Please." And Elsa looked him in the eye, begging.

Kristoff shook his head, letting her go, but keeping his hand placed on his sheathed sword just in case. The crowd assumed Elsa would take it slow, walk calmly over to the thrashing beast. They assumed she would hurt her, to put her in her place to prove dominance over such a creature.

Elsa ran over and gave Anna her first ever hug.

Needless to say, everyone was shocked at the sight of the 'monster' rubbing their face into Elsa's neck, nuzzling her.

"Oh, Anna. I'm sorry." Elsa told her, Anna growling calmly in response.

Anna wished she could grab onto Elsa the same way she was being hugged now. For days, Anna had been in a dark place, people like Elsa coming into the cage they'd thrown her in. All of them spat words at her, but she gave them nothing but growls in response. She did not wish to learn the language from them, only from Elsa. They hurt her, kept her bound to the walls with shackles and tortured her. She wondered if Elsa was even alive. Surely if she was, she would come for her. She had thought Elsa dead, thought that these strange people had tortured her as well, except they would have killed Elsa, the girl not being as tough as Anna. The sheer rise of emotion in her chest at the sight of Elsa bursting through the crowd was something she'd never felt before.

She licked Elsa on the neck, a sign of great affection in her culture.

Elsa giggled at the feeling. "Stop, that tickles."

Anna continued, unable to do anything but this at the moment.

The first knight who had intervened looked to the town crier who had riled up the now still crowd.

"Well? I think we've seen enough. Cut her down and release her bindings." He told the man.

The man and guards did as was told, cutting Anna down and releasing her. The girl had growled at them, but a calming touch from Elsa was enough to get them close enough to release her. When Anna felt her legs and arms freed, she grabbed a hold of Elsa, hugging her back, now that she finally could.

"Thank you." Elsa said when she saw the knight from before circle around them, looking Anna up and down. Elsa couldn't blame him, Anna was indeed exotic looking.

"Perish your thanks, they are not needed. To stand by and watch an innocent be killed, whether man or beast is not something I could do." He told her, devilishly handsome face offering a strong looking smile thanks to his rather adept jaw.

Elsa smiled as he walked away.

Kristoff on the other hand frowned as the knight walked past him to leave.

"Just what are you doing, Gaston?" Kristoff asked.

The knight Gaston stopped, looking at Kristoff with the same smile he gave Elsa.

"Glory does not wait for those who take no opportunities, Kristoff." He told him, laughing as he left. Several of the peasants crowding him, most of them girls, all of them astonished to see the great Sir Gaston.

Kristoff shook his head, not bothering to try and guess at whatever game that Gaston was playing at. Instead he looked to Elsa and… and that beast she dared to say she tamed. Kristoff was no fool. While he did still believe Elsa to be a boy named Larsa, he knew there was no way that she could have spent years training such an animal. In fact he had a pretty good guess as to when they met. Kristoff had learned of the deployment to black woods after it happened. It was too late for him to try and stop anything or to at least volunteer to go. He didn't like the idea of a young boy like Larsa going off into the woods to potentially die to creatures of myth. While he didn't fully believe the legends, it was hard to deny them when there was now living proof on a stage.

He sighed as he walked over.

Elsa felt Anna's growl more then she heard it. She turned to see Kristoff walking over. She felt Anna move at the sight of him. The quick action of hugging Anna tighter was what it took to keep her from lunging.

"Please, Sir Kristoff. If you would, could you not come so close?" She asked, not knowing why Anna disliked him so much.

"Oh… of course." He stopped, looking at Anna's angered face and realizing that it might not be such a good idea to get too close. He took a deep breath before saying, "I believe we need to talk, Larsa."

"Okay." A meek reply.

"Good… well, let's get out of here then."

The three did leave, Kristoff leading them through the crowd, making sure people backed away and gave them space as they walked. It didn't take much when the people saw Anna being led by Elsa. Elsa kept a hold of one of her hands, partially to make sure she kept up, but mostly just to take away one more deadly weapon she could use to hurt someone. She was no fool, sure, she trusted Anna not to hurt her, but she couldn't say she fully believed Anna wouldn't hurt others out of some misunderstanding. It didn't help that they'd hurt her, she'd be amazed if Anna ever trusted anyone besides Elsa.

Anna trusted Elsa.

The thought made Elsa feel warm.

The three left, managing to escape the crowd. Kristoff led them through the city and towards the more modest areas, the poorer areas. Elsa continued holding Anna's hand, the girl loving the feeling of Elsa's softer hand in her rougher one. Anna found she did not like giant blonde, did not like the way he tried to keep Elsa away from her. She also hated the way he grabbed her, how roughly he pulled her back. She growled lowly as she stared at his back. The growl was replaced with a weird feeling in her stomach as Elsa turned to look at her, giving a small smile.

Sometimes Anna wished she understood things better, like whatever this feeling was that Elsa gave her.

"Where are we going?" Elsa asked after she made sure Anna wasn't about to jump on Kristoff's back.

"My home." Kristoff told her.

Kristoff's 'home' was more modest than Elsa's own. It was small, looking like it only contained two small rooms. It was in the poor part of the city, the part where beggars were common and children were abandoned. Kristoff was treated well here however, most saying friendly hellos to him and some asking when he could come over to offer them some help with whatever miscellaneous work that they could come up with. He offered kind smiles and promises of helping later. Kristoff also dropped a few silver coins to a nearby beggar that they passed.

They seemed like kind people, yet they still feared the beast that walked behind Elsa whenever they spotted her.

Kristoff led them into the home, closing the door behind them once inside. Elsa had been wrong in her assumption that the house had two rooms. In reality there was only one room. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom occupied the same space. The place didn't smell bad, but it smelled old, like the wood was only a few days away from giving out and the house collapsing.

"Well, don't mind me. Make yourselves at home." Kristoff told them, though he was mostly talking to Elsa.

The only seats were the ones around the kitchen table that was in the middle of the living room. Elsa took up a seat, bringing Anna with her. The face Anna made at the astonishment of something as simple as a chair put a smile on Elsa's face. The girl was used to sleeping and sitting on leaves, the entire city was quite literally foreign to her.

Anna made a face when Kristoff took the seat across from Elsa and herself.

"I'm sure this is quite the story you have to tell and-" Kristoff suddenly stopped, staring at Elsa.

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Has your hair always been that long? You almost look like a girl." Kristoff questioned.

Elsa's hand instinctively reached up to touch her braided hair.

"My uh… mother doesn't like me to cut it. She says girls will chase me for it one day." Elsa quickly made up a lie, not bothering with a deeper voice with Kristoff, considering she didn't try hiding it the first day she met him. It was his mistake after all to think she was a boy.

Kristoff nodded as though he'd had the same conversation with his own mother once. "Right." He sighed, leaning back in his chair that groaned from not only his size, but the large armor he wore. "So… what's this?" He gestured between Elsa and Anna.

Elsa let her eyes slide to Anna, the girl looking like she was trying to melt Kristoff with her stare alone.

"it's… a long story."

And Elsa told it.

She told him about the initial meeting, the way Anna's people killed her entire company, the way they tore into them afterwards, leaving nothing but husks of skin and bone. She told him about her first attempt at an escape. She looked over to Anna as she told the part about how Anna had jumped from an impossible height and landed on her feet unscathed to save her. She told him that Anna's people were savages with low intelligence. However she also told him that even they had children, even they had felt love. She skipped over her rejection of Anna's rabbit, instead telling him how Anna slayed a boar by herself just to feed Elsa. She told him that they created things, such as fire and combs for their hair. She told him that while they were indeed animals, they seemed to show signs of an early civilization. Finally, she told him of the escape, of the way Anna betrayed her people just to save Elsa, nearly dying in the process.

Her first confirmed kill, the one that died to her ice, she left out.

Kristoff was rubbing his jaw by the end.

"That's quite a tale… one so thrilling that I don't want to believe you." He told her.

"But it's true, I-"

"I know." He cut her off before she could defend herself more. "A secondary team was sent to find out what happen to your group. They found blood and broken armor and weapons. I suppose they were lucky not to run into the beasts themselves." He looked at Anna as he said that.

Elsa could feel the tension between the two. She shifted in her seat, not wanting to take a side completely. Kristoff was the one who helped her get a job. He was so kind to help her and she had seen his kindness firsthand. He was a good man who had yet to see Anna's good side. As for Anna, well… Anna had proven time and time again that she deserved Elsa's trust. So she would never completely side with Kristoff over her.

"She's not a leader you know." Elsa spoke up. "She was only following her people into battle."

"I gathered that from your story." His eyes still stared at Anna, looking as though he wanted her to break eye contact first.

Now Elsa began to squirm in her seat. What could she say to get these two to get along.

"She… she likes learning." Elsa suddenly said.

"Learning?"

"Names and stuff. She likes it when I teach her." Elsa told him.

Kristoff thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I remember her yelling out something when she noticed you before. Was she screaming 'Elsa'?" He questioned, confused.

Panic, and the sound of Elsa swallowing a lump in her throat. "She has a hard time saying Larsa." She quickly spoke up.

Kristoff just hummed, leaving Elsa not knowing whether he believed her or not.

"Look, just watch. She likes to learn." Elsa turned to Anna, getting the girl's attention by tugging on the hand she had yet to let go of. "Anna, say 'Kristoff'." She told her.

Anna frowned at her.

Elsa pointed to Kristoff. "Kriii-stooo-fff." She slowed it down like she often did for Anna.

Anna looked at her pointed finger at the man.

Now, Anna was not so primitive as to not know what Elsa was trying to tell her. She was trying to introduce the two, trying to get her to learn his name. Anna was confident she could copy the sound and say it properly in one try. Still, Anna just stared at him, angry that he was so close to Elsa. She hated that they were in his nest. His smell was overpowering here, like he was trying to assert to Anna that this was his place of dwelling and that he held the power her. She wanted to challenge him, to prove her dominance, to prove she was stronger. How dare he touch Elsa the way he did and then make them follow him. Anna wondered if he held some sway over Elsa, if he was using her, or controlling her. She didn't trust him or that big nose of his.

"Trophy." Anna uttered.

Kristoff looked confused, and so did Elsa.

"Trophy." Anna said again, this time standing up abruptly. Kristoff reached for his sword, but did not draw it, seeing as Anna was still on the other side of the table, close to Elsa. Anna beat her chest once, then twice, and finally a third time before, "Trophy!" She declared.

Elsa turned pale as she realized Anna was challenging him, threatening to turn him into her next trophy.

"Anna!" Elsa whispered harshly, tugging on the girl.

"Trophy, Kristoff. Trophy." She declared again, another beat of her chest.

Elsa eventually pulled on Anna hard enough to make her take her seat again.

Elsa cleared her throat. "You see? She said your name. She knows now."

Kristoff let his hand off his sword once he realized that Elsa had somehow reigned her in. "What was that about a trophy."

"Uh… she holds you in high regard like you were a trophy." Elsa lied, already figuring out that Anna wanted his head on her wall.

"I see…" Kristoff didn't know if he truly believed that, but the girl did calm back down somewhat.

Anna felt victorious, a smug smile wrapping itself around her face. She had challenged him and he did nothing but sit there. She had proved her dominance over him in his own nest. She was better, stronger, much more fit to be around Elsa then he did.

She didn't know why that last part mattered so much.

"She's a good person… just easily riled up is all." Elsa told him.

"Being a monster and being easily riled up is not a good thing." He countered.

"She's not a monster." Elsa furrowed her brows, angry that everyone seemed to think of her that way.

Kristoff held his hands up in surrender. "You said she attacked your company. I'm just saying she's not beyond hurting someone or worse." Kristoff said reasonably.

Elsa agreed, knowing Anna would, and very much could, kill someone if threatened. Humans are were hostile by nature to anything different, to something that they didn't understand. Anna was humanoid enough to perhaps fit in with time, but even Elsa knew that her exotic features were frightening to those that didn't know her.

She was in the same position once.

"Please, Kristoff. She's good, I swear. I'll make sure she doesn't get into trouble." Elsa promised, though she knew it was something she could only _try _to do.

Kristoff let out a great big sigh.

"I'll put in a good word for you, but that's all. The first time she injures anyone, even the smallest scratch, I will take those words back and order a hunt on her." Kristoff said sternly, staring Elsa in her eyes to make sure the point was driven home.

Elsa wanted to argue, but found she could only think of one. "At least let her defend herself if need be."

Kristoff shrugged. "If there's proof she didn't attack first, then of course."

Elsa nodded. "Sounds reasonable." Truthfully she didn't like the idea of Anna being hunted down if she hurt someone. It would be hard to teach the girl to only fight back if she was hit first.

"Good." He nodded before standing. "I'll escort you back to the castle. I imagine this will take some explaining if you want to continue being a soldier. Keeping pets is fine, but Half-Beasts are another story." Kristoff told her, making sure not to call the girl a monster.

Kristoff led them out of his house and towards the castle. Elsa wondered how she was going to make this work. Elsa did not 'tame' Anna in any manner. All she knew was that Anna wouldn't hurt her and would protect her. How much she listened to Elsa would depend on her. Sometimes she did, other times she tried to stand her ground and fight like at the waterfall. It took Elsa throwing herself over for Anna to follow. She didn't know if she could do this, if she could teach Anna fast enough and keep her under control until she learned to live like a normal person.

A squeeze on her hand.

Elsa looked to Anna who looked at their joined hands. The girl was smiling, hoping that Elsa hadn't noticed the way she squeezed at her soft hand.

Elsa squeezed back.

Anna looked up, face red when she made eye contact with Elsa. She looked away, trying to act like she was more interested in her new environment than the warmth of Elsa's hand.

Elsa smiled at her.

It would be worth it to teach Anna, of that Elsa was sure.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This took a bit longer than my normal upload time huh? Sorry guys, I caught a cold (I Swear my cat gave it to me) and i was laid up in bed for like two days straight, couldn't even taste food it was so bad. But i'm feeling better, so back to writing I go.

GeekFun: aww, ty, you're gonna make me blush. Seriously that was nice to say =).

Laryssa1234: Glad you're enjoying. I'll tell you a secret. Writing the Elsanna moments is a guilty pleasure of mine. Sadly I can't just rush them into a relationship or else things would be moving way faster.

Nara375: I can't respond to any of your suspicions on where the story is going, or else I'd be spoiling lol. I will say that Elsa teaching Anna more than just words will definitely be a challenge. Guess we'll have to find out in the future.

DreamWalker: Yes, just what is Gaston up to?... well of course I know, but i would never spoil something for my dear readers =D. Poor Kristoff, beaten in his own home without even knowing it.

Thanks for those lovely reviews guys, I wasn't feeling too great about last chapter and can't say this chapter feels so great as well. But this could just be me transitioning from Anna's village to the town and feeling like its not action packed enough or tense enough. I'm sure i'll get over it as I move along in the writing. Enough talking though, on with the chapter!

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Kristoff was kind enough to gift Elsa a few coins to buy clothes for herself and Anna. Elsa's own clothes were torn from her earlier encounters in the village, and Anna had shredded her own animal hide during the last escape. The cloak Anna wore was hardly enough to keep her warm, even if she tried hiding the fact from Elsa. Elsa, being a bit of a knowledgeable shopper, had managed to not only find them decent clothing, but to knock down the price on it as well.

It helped when the store owner wouldn't stop staring at Anna's slit eyes.

The two were in an alley, away from the eyes of the public while they changed. Elsa had wanted to go home, to change with comfortable knowledge that no one would peek at them. She doubted however that she could explain such a… _person_ like Anna to her parents and siblings. So instead they were in a dark alley where no one seemed to venture.

"No, that's for your legs." Elsa told Anna as she tried to put her arms through the pants.

Anna grumbled, wondering how Elsa had dressed so quickly. Anna was not interested in wearing such strange clothing, but it was cold, and it would only be so long before Elsa noticed her shivering. Not to mention she walked around barefoot, stepping in the light snow all around them. Things were much different in the thick forest, seeing as a lot of the snow was caught in the trees.

"No, not like that." Elsa said. "No it's backwards." Another comment. "How did you turn them inside out?" A baffled look.

Anna grew frustrated and threw the pants down, growling all the while. At one point Elsa might have jumped away, might have been intimidated by such a display from someone like Anna.

She giggled, hand coming up to try and hide it.

"It's not that bad Anna, here let me help." Elsa said as she picked up the pants.

Elsa bent down, getting Anna to lift a leg as she brought the pants up. It reminded her of dressing her younger brothers when they were still small. Elsa slid the pants up, a bit before getting Anna's other leg inside. She pulled them up, somewhat proud of herself.

Eventually she came face to face with something she'd rather not have seen.

"Oh!" Elsa blushed, backing away.

A growl of curiosity.

"N-nothing! You can pull them up now." Elsa gave her own pants a tug upwards to indicate what she wanted Anna to do.

Anna obliged, sliding the pants up and over her bottom until they were snug around her waist.

Elsa rubbed at her face, trying to rid it of the blush after what she'd seen.

_She really is just like a normal girl. _Elsa thought, feeling embarrassed at what she'd caught sight of between Anna's legs.

"O-okay. Now the shirt." Elsa said.

The shirt went just about as well as the pants incident. As much as Elsa tried to avoid it, she caught sight of two perky orbs that she learned held a few freckles, just like the ones on Anna's face. Luckily it wasn't as embarrassing as what she saw before. She managed to get Anna's shirt on without blushing too much. The girl showed obvious signs of discomfort, constantly picking at her clothes.

"They'll keep you warm, and that's what matters." Elsa had made sure the clothes were thickly made for winter. They would be okay for now, but if it got any colder, which Elsa imagined it would, she would need more layers thrown on. "I suppose you can keep the cloak." Elsa shrugged at the old thing wrapped around Anna.

Anna grumbled as she picked at her clothes.

"Well… C'mon, we don't want to be late." Elsa said beginning to walk away and gesturing for Anna to follow.

Kristoff had gone ahead of them, going to the castle to explain the situation involving Elsa and Anna. Elsa was, at the end of the day, still a soldier and would be expected to rejoin the army. The problem lied with Anna. No one could expect Elsa to leave Anna alone, no one would be there to take care of her, and Anna needed to be taken care of. Elsa wasn't a fool, Anna seemed docile around her, but she knew the girl wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone if she felt threatened. It was humans that were fools. They would see her as a monster, attempt to provoke her because she was different.

They would look for excuses to murder Anna.

Elsa took a look at Anna as they walked out of the alley and back towards the main road to the castle. Around them, people backed away and muttered to themselves. Most of them, if not all of them, must have been at the gallows to see Elsa save her friend. They were smart enough to stay away, cautious enough to think Elsa didn't have full control over Anna, to which they would be right. Elsa was almost willing to bet that Anna had more control over Elsa then the situation in vice versa. The best Elsa could do was throw her body in the way if Anna got upset and pray that Anna didn't accidentally tear her to shreds.

Part of her still wondered what it would be like if Anna's temper turned towards herself.

Anna picked at her clothes as she walked, wondering why these people dressed uncomfortably. She was much more used to animal skins that were just thrown over the body, skirts that gave her legs much freedom to move. This thing on her legs now was, while warmer, much more confining. She felt like she could move in them, but not with the same mobility as her animal skin. The top portion was just as bad, she could feel the material move every time she raised her arms. Anna's mind had a hard time grasping why Elsa had put her in these clothes. Anna could easily hunt for her own clothes. In fact, that made Anna wonder why they were here anyway. Now that the two had met up and found one another again, why not leave? There was much forest out there, much that Anna's people had yet to discover. They could live there and Anna could provide for Elsa. It would be easy.

"Elsa." Anna said, brows furrowed when Elsa looked to her. She had no way of knowing how to say what she wanted.

"Something wrong, Anna?" Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head in frustration, now hating the language barrier right now. Sure, she loved when Elsa would sit down to teach her, to show her those happy expressions. That was all she really wanted. She just wanted Elsa to be happy.

She saw Elsa smiling at her and realized that maybe Elsa was happy with her own people.

Anna let out a small growl before looking away.

She didn't like the smell of this place, nor the people. Everything was so different from the more natural setting she was used to. Still, if Elsa wanted to be here, than Anna would be here for her. It wasn't as though there was anyone who could challenge Anna anyway.

The two walked to the castle, both stopping in front of the guards who watched Elsa leave earlier. Neither of them paid attention to her however, both of them staring at Anna and her rather strange looks.

"Um… I'm Larsa. Sir Kristoff went ahead of me, he wanted-"

"Oh… yes." One guard interrupted her, his grip on his spear telling both her and Anna that he was afraid. "Sir Kristoff would like for you to wait in the waiting room. Go straight until you find the statues of the old king and queen, then take a left. It will be the first door on the right." He told her, eyes never leaving Anna.

Anna gruffly tilted her head up at him, a quick and rough noise in the back of her throat. She was questioning him, questioning if he was challenging her.

Luckily he didn't say anything and cowered back instead.

Elsa never noticed the exchange, too busy thanking the guard and making sure Anna stayed close to her as they passed through. Elsa followed the instructions, moving until she saw statues of the previous queen and king. Both of them had passed away, their death being something Elsa knew little about. When they had died, Elsa was busy working the farm, having no time for gossip, or the care to give for people she didn't know. From what she knew, they were kind though. Now Elsa's people only had a queen, a queen who had yet to take a suitor. From what Elsa had heard, she was a little… strange.

Elsa made it to the waiting room, dragging Anna inside as well and closing the door. Even the waiting room, Elsa found, looked quite expensive. Once again her worry over destroying something came back, twice as much now that Anna was looking around and touching things.

"Wait!" Elsa whispered harshly as Anna picked up some strange knickknack that looked like a small wooden knight. Elsa quickly snatched it from Anna and put it back where she'd found it. "Don't touch." Elsa wagged a finger at Anna as if she were a dog.

Anna blinked at her.

"Doonn't touch." Anna pronounced out.

"That's right. Don't touch." Elsa pushed the knickknack further back on its shelf just in case.

Anna picked it up again.

"Hey!" Elsa nearly growled.

"Don't touch." Anna put it back.

Elsa pushed it further back again, worried that Anna would go for it.

She was right.

This time however, Anna found herself pulling her hand back as Elsa gave it a light smack.

"No!" She glared.

Anna smiled as she seemed to understand fully. "No." She repeated, understanding that 'no' meant something along the lines of her doing something wrong. Anna however, while understanding, thought it was funny that Elsa got so upset over such a small item. Anna wondered if it was a trophy of some kind. The moment Elsa turned her back, Anna picked it up again.

"Elsa." She called, mischievous smile on her face.

"Anna!" Elsa reached for the wooden knight.

Anna pulled back.

"Give it to me, Anna! You could break it."

Anna backed away.

Elsa stepped forward.

A step back.

Another forward…

Elsa lunged, only to grasp at air. Anna ran away, jumping over the couches placed in the room, all the while holding onto her prize. She knew not to break whatever it was, seeing as it was important to Elsa. Still, she couldn't resist teasing the blonde when she suddenly got so upset. It was something she used to do to kids whom she knew she was stronger than as a child. Sometimes they would challenge Anna, so Anna would run circles around them in a duel, playing with them, not really wanting to hurt them, but quite enjoying teasing them.

She hadn't played like this for some time now.

"Anna!" Elsa growled literally.

Anna stared at her for a moment, she blinked lazily once before bursting out in a laugh. It really was like when she was a kid. Elsa was challenging her, perhaps not a duel that would end in bloodshed, but still challenging her over the item.

"I mean it, Anna!" Elsa reached for the item.

Anna took a small breath before giving Elsa a brief roar. Though Elsa knew her beast form was much more menacing, she had to admit that Anna's human form still roared in a manner that could rival any other normal animal.

The smile on Anna's face told Elsa that she was only kidding of course.

Not that it mattered to the one who entered the room.

"Oh… wow." a feminine voice said.

Both Anna and Elsa turned to find a strange, blonde woman in the room. Her hair was long, extremely long, so long that it trailed behind her. It was more golden than Elsa's paler color. Her eyes were green, skin light, and she was dressed like a royalty. Elsa imagined she must have been of high class with clothes like that.

"Don't panic! She's only playing!" Elsa quickly let out, worried that the woman might scream and rile Anna up.

"Is that so?" She asked.

"Yes." Elsa said before looking at Anna who was distracted by the blonde. She snatched the wooden knight away and placed it back on the shelf. "She thinks its funny." Elsa grumbled, glad that the knight had not been damaged.

"So… she is the Half-Beast that everyone is talking about." The woman tilted her head. "Hmm." A hum of thought. "They made her out to be scarier than she is."

Elsa remembered Anna's less than happy moods when defending her.

"You should see her when she's mad." Elsa commented offhandedly. "Oh er- not that she is trouble. I can handle her!" Elsa quickly said, not wanting a person of high class to think Anna was dangerous. Who knows how far this person's influence went. Kristoff did say he had to convince the commander of Arendelle's army if she wanted to continue working as a soldier and keep Anna.

The girl who entered the room had yet to take her eyes off of Anna, the same could be said about the beast girl herself.

"What makes her _mad_?" The woman questioned.

Elsa blinked at her. "Um… she's very close to me, so she doesn't like it if anyone threatens me." Elsa felt this was good knowledge to pass around. She didn't need people coming at her about Anna and expect Anna to remain docile.

The woman nodded at this. "Is that so?" She hummed again, deep in thought for the briefest moment before, "I shall have your head!" She suddenly yelled, stepping menacingly towards Elsa. Truthfully Elsa didn't find it very frightening considering the girl's size and the fact that Elsa had been attacked by beasts not very long ago.

Elsa just stood there, confused. She backed away instinctively, mind wondering how she got into this sudden situation.

A fierce growl.

Suddenly Anna was between the both of them, close to Elsa. She puffed out her chest and bellowed mightily, making her earlier growl seem weak in comparison.

"Anna, wait!" Elsa grabbed her, pulling her back, but Anna wouldn't budge from her spot.

"Wow, you weren't kidding." The woman said, looking quite surprised, but not shaken.

Suddenly there was clatter outside, the sound of many suits of armor rushing towards the room. Elsa was unable to budge Anna, but she did step in front of her instead. She imagined that many guards were coming after that ferocious noise. The door burst open with several armor clad guards bursting in. Immediately the girl with the fine dress was surrounded, those in front of her aiming their weapons towards Elsa and Anna.

"Are you alright your highness?!" Someone questioned.

Elsa nearly swooned at the words.

"Down boys. We were only playing." The girl said- no, the _queen_ said.

Elsa felt like an idiot. There was no one in Arendelle that had not heard of the queen's distinct feature that was her long and luscious hair that was as golden as a sunflower. She had been standing in front of the queen this whole time.

She let Anna threaten the queen.

Elsa fell to her knees, not knowing the proper protocol when in the presence of the queen.

"Your majesty, my queen, uh, your royal highness. Please-" Elsa struggled to get out, frightened that both she and Anna were about to have another trip to the gallows.

She never got to finish whatever she was going to say as Anna grabbed her under her shoulder and pulled her back to her feet. Anna growled at her, looking very upset. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Anna didn't like Elsa showing weakness to anyone. The only problem that Elsa found with that logic was that this was the _queen_, the ruler of Arendelle. One wrong look and Anna would be fighting off every guard within this castle. Elsa had faith in Anna's strength, but to fight off an entire castle of guards?

Not to mention Anna was still injured from before, even if she didn't show it.

The queen rolled her eyes. "Let's not get all wound up now that you realize who I am, I found things much more fun before you realized." She smiled.

"Your majesty!" One of the guards half-scolded.

"Alright gentlemen." A new voice said.

Everyone, except for a few guards, turned their attention to the entrance of the room, where a knight stood, looking like he owned the world. Elsa, once again, knew he was a knight because his armor was so similar to Sir Kristoff's and Sir Gaston's.

"When the queen says down doggie, you wag your tails like good little boys, await your treat, and then walk off once she's done with you." He told them, confident smile in place like he had no fear of any repercussions.

"Sir Eugene..." One of the men growled.

"Ah!" He suddenly let out a small outburst. "That's Sir Flynn Rider to you, my good sir." He told the guard, walking in with all the suave that he was sure he owned.

"Eugene has a point." The look on 'Flynn's' face was priceless at the use of the name by the queen. "I am not harmed and I do not require any assistance now that my personal guard is here. Please, gentlemen if you would please exit the room." She told them somewhat sarcastically.

One guard tried to argue but he was quickly cut off by, "There is also the master of the animal in person, yes? She is highly skilled in the art of training exotic pets. I'm sure I will be fine so long as she is present." She said, now looking towards Elsa.

When Elsa realized she was awaiting in answer, she began to blubber.

"Y-yes, of course. She would not harm a fly so long as I order it." Elsa told them nervously. Truthfully that fly would be torn to bits and pieces if it threatened Elsa, but she couldn't tell them that.

"You see?" The queen asked the guards. "Now back to your normal duties." She shooed them away with a few flicks of her wrist.

The guards hesitated, most of them looking at Anna as though she were going to lunge at them at any moment, They left the room, one of them seeming absolutely done with the entire situation as he called out to 'Sir, Eugene', telling him to have fun with the queen.

Elsa might have found it a bit comical as he tried to figure out just who had said that name to him, demanding that they come back and face the whips or be hanged, however Elsa was more worried about the fact that the queen herself was standing there, looking at both her and Anna, though mostly Anna. Eugene eventually did walk over, looking Anna up and down himself for a moment.

"She certainly looks… human...ish?" He asked, receiving a elbow to the ribs from the queen, though it didn't do much since all she hit was his armor.

"Don't be rude to our future soldiers." She scolded.

Elsa blinked.

"Soldiers?" She asked.

"Soldiers, yes. Is this not why you had Sir Kristoff come and ask that you be a part of the army?" She seemed confused.

Elsa remembered that she had indeed let Sir Kristoff go ahead of them to explain the situation. Had he talked to the queen? He had told her he would be talking to the general of the army.

"That is why, your majesty. I wish to continue serving in Arendelle's military." Elsa did her best to sound formal, to not ruin the queen's ear with her peasant tongue.

"Absolutely not!" Another voice entered the room.

Elsa watched as a rather intimidating man stepped into the room, armor full of medals and not an inch of him, besides his head, not covered in steel. Trailing behind him was Kristoff and Gaston, both showing proper respect in his presence. Elsa already knew before he opened his mouth, that he must have been the general that Kristoff went to. Who else would wear such armor and command the respect of the knights themselves like that.

"As the general of your armies, I cannot allow us to just allow beasts and…" He stopped and stared at Elsa. "_Boys _into the army." He stated, looking at Elsa and seeing nothing but a scrawny little peasant boy that had likely not even been ripped away from his mother's tit properly. He looked too young, much too young. What would people say when they learned that Arendelle, during a war, was desperate enough to recruit small boys into their army.

"She's no beast." Elsa slipped, her defense of Anna coming automatically.

The general looked at her with contempt. "And just what does a beast make for you? I see claws, horns, a beasts eyes, who knows what else she's got going on." He scoffed.

Anna bared her teeth in a snarl.

"My point taken." He rolled his eyes before looking to the queen. "Your highness if I may, we are doing well enough against the southern isle's assaults without employing beasts and children." He told her.

"General Rourke." The queen turned to him. "While I agree with what you're saying for the most part, what if these rumors about the southern isle's is true?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

The commander laughed a hearty laugh. "Your majesty you cannot be serious in believing such things."

The queen gestured her head towards Anna. "I'm staring at a living rumor right now. Whose to say the southern isle's is fake as well."

The commander looked stunned for words, mouth opening and closing as he tried to come up with some come back.

He couldn't.

"Hmm. And if these rumors are true, I believe we could use the talents of one such boy and his… friend." She corrected herself, almost saying pet, but realizing that Elsa may just be a bit more sensitive to the girl than she originally thought.

"This is crazy. No one would take them. I will not force one of my commanders or captains to take this boy and his dog!" He said finally, the entire situation being ridiculous to him.

The queen sighed at this, before looking to Elsa and Anna. "You're right. No one would take them, and I'd hate to have to force your hand when I seem to be the only one to agree with the idea." She nodded solemnly.

The general looked taken aback. "Really?" He coughed. "I mean yes, you're absolutely right. I'm glad your highness has seen reason." He turned to Elsa and Anna. "Now if you two would like, I may escort you out of the-"

"I guess we'll just have to make them special rights bestowed by the queen herself." She suddenly said, completely cutting off the general.

Flynn chuckled at that, while the general looked completely baffled.

"That sounds familiar." Flynn said.

"Special rights?" The general asked.

"Yes, special rights. They will be my special units, ones only I will command. Such a thing is not new for me, and they will not be a part of Arendelle's army. Think of them more as servants at the queen's beck and call. If I just so happen to deploy them somewhere the army is going… well." The queen shrugged, doing her best to look dumbfounded by the idea, but knowing full well she was inciting the general's wrath. "I take it you have no problem with this? You will be paid of course." The queen asked Elsa.

Elsa suddenly felt very grateful, but she knew not to make a scene here and now.

"Yes, thank you your majesty. I will serve you so long as I am required." Elsa felt that was very well said.

"He's a peasant boy! Sir Kristoff himself said that the boy comes from a farm!" The general nearly shouted.

The queen hummed. "All the more impressive that he has tamed himself such a friend, yes?" She looked to him now.

The general shook his head, ready to say something else. However he realized that he was arguing a losing battle. The queen was known to be strange and to do what she wanted, there was nothing he could do here. For all the power he had, it was nothing before the Queen who had the most power in all the kingdom.

"As you wish." He gritted out through a clenched jaw. He made his exit, leaving both Gaston and Kristoff to stand there.

Flynn watched him go before shrugging his shoulders. "That went about as well as expected, nicely done princess."

"I'm a queen now." She corrected. "Anyway, your new duties will require you a place in the castle so that I am able to call upon you when needed." She turned to Sir Kristoff and Gaston, who both stood upright once her gaze fell upon them. "Sir Kristoff if you would be so kind as to find them an empty room in the special sector, that would be lovely."

"Yes, Your majesty." Kristoff said with proper protocol and posture.

The queen turned to Elsa.

"Welcome to Arendelle's military might, Larsa. May you benefit us as much as we benefit you." She properly curtsied, though it was completely unnecessary.

Elsa stared back, giving a peasants bow, one without the correct posture or level. She looked to Anna who was too busy staring down the others in the room, keeping an eye on them. Elsa sighed as she realized she had gotten herself into a whole new mess.

_Special units to the queen…_ She thought, already imagining various ways this could end up messy.

Anna just scratched at her chest, bored now that the one who seemed so hotheaded had left.

After the very concerning first meeting with the queen of Arendelle, Elsa ended up walking alongside Kristoff and Anna to what was going to be her new room.

"From peasant to a special officer that the queen calls upon… not everyone gets to say they accomplished that." Kristoff said, armor clinking as he walked down the halls.

"Is this...normal?" Elsa asked as she walked alongside him, looking to the knight for answers.

Kristoff chuckled. "The queen isn't exactly like every other queen out there. Not that I've met any besides her." He shrugged casually. "But to answer the question. Your the third person to receive special treatment from the queen."

Elsa took in this information, wondering if she was special in some way to receive such an honor from the queen herself. Elsa remembered the strong girl beside her, the one who had been through many more battles than Elsa, the one who survived because of her strength. No, Elsa was not special, but Anna was. Anna was the reason she was receiving this special treatment, Anna was the reason that Elsa was going to be able to continue sending money to her family.

Anna, ignorant to Elsa's thoughts, let out a yawn as she walked beside the blonde.

Well… there was something different, something that Elsa had that she had seen no one else with.

She looked to her right hand, concentrating solely on the fingertips.

Nothing happened.

She shook her head. What was she thinking? Had she forgotten so quickly about the past? She shuddered at the thought, remembering the frosty chill that spread throughout her body, the way her veins turned to ice, her blood freezing within. She recalled the pain, a pain worse than any winter's cold. She had become cold incarnate, yet she was not immune to the pain that came with it.

She had already died once to the cold.

"Well, here we are." Kristoff suddenly spoke up, tearing Elsa away from thoughts she'd rather forget.

Kristoff opened a door that lead into quite a lavish looking room. The trio walked inside, Anna immediately smelling the room, trying to figure out just who it belonged to. Kristoff seemed unimpressed, while Elsa looked like she might pass out at any second.

"I don't suppose its possible to… downgrade a little?" Elsa asked, nervous about the expensive looking room.

Kristoff laughed.

"Don't worry, I felt the same way when I got my room in the castle. Just don't destroy anything on purpose and your fine." Kristoff told her.

"What's your room like?" Elsa questioned, reaching over and rubbing her hand across the mahogany surface of a wardrobe.

"You should know, you slept there for three days." Kristoff shrugged.

Elsa looked at him for about three seconds before blushing slightly.

"Oh… well, thank you for that." She didn't know why she felt embarrassed with the knowledge that she had slept in Kristoff's bed. It also explained why this room seemed so familiar. It was shaped nearly identical to Kristoff's, however there were small differences to be made out.

Kristoff gave another shrug. "It's the least I can do." He turned to leave. "My room's across from yours if you need me. Just a heads up though, I spend more time in my family home than the room given to me by the queen." He told her as an almost afterthought.

Elsa gave a nod.

The door closed and suddenly it was just Anna and Elsa again.

Elsa heaved out a breath and collapsed to the floor. She was a special person to the queen now, someone to call upon. She was being given special treatment even though she was just a normal peasant girl. She wondered if she could even accomplish anything. It was Anna that was special, it was Anna that they would rely on. Not her. What could she do that deserved this kind of treatment.

"Elsa." A call from her newest friend.

Elsa looked up to find Anna offering up the same wooden knight that was in the waiting room.

"What is- Anna!" She suddenly stood up, taking the wooden knight from her. "You stole this? What is wrong with you? There is nothing special about this! It's just a-" She stopped.

It wasn't special. There were probably hundreds of little knickknacks like this around the castle. No one would notice it was missing. It was like Elsa herself, just another object in a sea of them. She looked at the little knight that had his sword drawn, ready to slay whatever foul creature that dared to stand up to him. It wasn't special.

However it seemed special to Anna.

Maybe that was it. Maybe Elsa was special to Anna, and so Elsa was the only one who could get Anna to help Arendelle in anyway. If Elsa wasn't here, Anna wouldn't be either. If Elsa died, Anna would leave back to the forest. She was here for Elsa and she would fight for Elsa. No, Elsa wasn't special, but to Anna she was.

"I suppose we have to keep him now." Elsa half smiled, placing the knight on the desk where several ink jars and feathers were kept.

Anna just smiled, not really understanding Elsa's thought process. To Anna, the knight meant nothing. However, seeing Elsa so protective of it, made Anna think it must have been special to Elsa. She'd taken it when no one was looking, wanting to give it to Elsa later so she could keep it. She knew she made the right choice when Elsa smiled at the little knight.

The knight was not special, but Elsa and Anna's thoughts about the other seemed to be.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This took a long time to get out =(. I won't lie, i've had this chapter done for a few days. The problem lied with the chapter after this one. I got completely stuck and I had a mini panic attack when I realized I didn't know what to write for chapter 10 either. Can't say I know what chapter 10 will be... but I realize I should just work it one chapter at a time, panicking isn't helping so i'll just write. Anwyay, enough about me, onto the reviews.

Laryssa1234: Yes, the meeting of the family will be fun to write i'm sure. I guess it isn't too spoiler to tell u that yes, Anna would be able to tell that Elsa's family must be close to her if they smell like her. Glad you're still loving it, prepare for more as i thrust another chapter at you!

GeekFun: I'm kind of new to writing a 'romantic' scenario, so I've been worried about that. I'm glad you're finding that little bit interesting =).

DreamWalker: Darn and I tried to hide it so well. How dare you already know who It was =(. Seriously though, thanks for your continued reviews =).

Anon: Hey, thanks man. Here's another chapter for ya.

Davinelulinvega: Thanks for pointing out that terrible sentence that I let slip past. I made sure to go through this chapter looking for stuff like that. If it somehow got past... for the love of god just kill me lol. Also i totally agree about the humans being like every other animal thing.

CelestiaInvictus: Oof I'm sorry. Just because no one has complained so far does not make it okay for me to let all of these mistakes through. I'll be working on that. Also, thanks for the tip on proper titles for king and queen and royals. I wasn't aware of the difference, this helps a lot. I had to go back through this chapter and change a few things after I read your review. I'm praying i didn't let anything slip through.

JustAnInnocentDevil: Anna and Rapunzel? Hmm. I wonder what dynamic i have prepared for them. (I'm doing my evil laugh btw).

Nara375: I agree, they are very cute 3. Yes, what will the southern isle think after Anna starts appearing around. Also, yes, just what did Elsa expect to find there lol. Truth be told I can't wait to write more 'fluff' I believe its called lol. thanks for another review, hope to see u in the future as well =).

SarahFTW: three words and an emote to make my day 3.

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Elsa awoke to a knock at the door. She sat up in bed, head feeling dizzy from sleep as she called out, "Who is it?" She grumbled at being woken up early.

"Kai, sir." A muffled voice from beyond the door.

"Kai…" Elsa tested the name, wondering why it sounded familiar. She was nearly back to sleep when her eyes shot open and she bounced out of bed and towards the door. She threw it open, startling the royal servant. "Sorry, I'm awake. What is it you need?" She asked, rubbing at her eyes to rid them of any crust that might have acquired during her sleep.

Kai let her collect herself for a moment. "The queen wishes to have breakfast with both you and… I'm sorry, but I never did get the name of your friend." He said.

"It's Anna." She responded automatically.

"Anna. I see. The queen wishes both you and Anna join her for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" She asked.

"Yes."

"With the queen?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

"Yes."

Elsa nodded, trying not to display how that bit of knowledge made her stomach flip with nervousness.

"When should I be there?" She asked.

"In an hour, sir."

"Thank you… I Uh… I'll be there." She told him.

Kai gave a proper bow before making his way down the hall, Elsa closing the door behind him. She turned back towards the inside of her room, nerves on end as she thought about the fact that she was going to be dining with the queen. The question of 'why' entered her mind. Surely there were others of more importance to dine with. Was Elsa perhaps in trouble? No, she hadn't done anything. She'd stayed in her room all of yesterday, talking with Anna, or rather trying to teach her words. They had fallen asleep and now here she was.

Elsa looked toward her bed where a crows nest of hair laid sleeping atop the cover, not even Kai's knocking being enough to wake the beast.

Elsa sighed, knowing she had to do something with Anna's hair since it was not just herself who was called down to see the queen later.

"Anna." She called as she walked over to the bed.

Anna remained lifeless, caught in the clutches of her dreams.

"Anna, come on." Elsa gave her a little shake on the shoulder.

Nothing.

"Anna!" She giggled, finding it ridiculous that anyone could sleep so tough.

A groan.

Blue-green eyes opened, looking at Elsa for a brief moment before closing.

An inquisitive growl.

"Come on, Anna. We have to get up." Elsa shook her again to get her point across.

Anna, being the beast she was, growled slightly and turned her face until it was face down in the cover. Truthfully it was more than not wanting to get up. Anna had never slept on something so comfortable. It was divine the way the bed felt beneath her. She had not slept beneath the covers like Elsa, but still, she found herself lured into the best sleep of her life. She wanted more, more of that beautiful sleep that the bed provided.

Elsa huffed after shaking Anna again and getting no response. She looked to the mess on Anna's head and wondered if she could fix it while Anna continued trying to sleep. No, this would take work, this would take Anna getting up and sitting in a chair. But how was she to get someone out of bed who was not only stronger than her, but stubborn as well.

An idea formed, one born from her childhood of waking up her own little brothers.

Elsa smiled wickedly as she flexed her fingers.

"Well, if you don't want to get up, don't blame me if the tickle fairy comes for you." Elsa said casually.

Anna said nothing, face planted deep into the bed.

"You do know of the tickle fairy don't you?" No response. "Oh… well the tickle fairy is a wicked little thing. She comes for bad children who don't finish their food or refuse to go to bed on time." Elsa nodded along to her story. "Yes, she even comes when you refuse to get out of bed come morning." Elsa looked to Anna's exposed stomach, tanned muscles revealed thanks to her hiked up shirt. "And she always starts… like… this!" She lunged.

Anna suddenly screamed out with a laugh as pale fingers went to work on her abdomen. There was no mercy shown, especially not after Elsa got her first taste of Anna's laughter that was full and true. This was no chuckle, no giggle, just full blown laughter in its purest form. Well, perhaps it was a bit forced thanks to her infamous tickle attack that her brothers had long since learned to avoid. Anna tried to fight back, but it was hard when she thought Elsa to be a delicate flower that was capable of being broken at the slightest touch.

"Are you going to get up?!" Elsa asked, fingers merciless in their assault.

Anna continued to laugh, writhing on the bed, trying to get away from Elsa.

"Say, 'yes, Elsa'." She told her.

"Yes, Elsa!" She screamed with laughter.

Elsa took her fingers away, proud of her work. It was yesterday that she had taught Anna to say whatever Elsa wanted. A simple 'say' this or 'say' that, was all it took now. Anna was coming along fast in her lessons, though she still had trouble understanding how to put sentences together. She didn't even know what she was saying 'yes' to. Elsa would honestly be surprised if she knew what 'yes' even meant.

Anna began to calm down, breathing heavy and looking absolutely shocked. At first Elsa was worried, but then Anna sat up on the bed and rubbed at her stomach, mimicking Elsa's movements.

"Elsa?" She questioned, eyebrows furrowed.

At first Elsa was confused, not understanding what Anna wanted or even what she was doing. However something clicked somehow and she had a pretty good guess.

"Are you… trying to tickle yourself? Have you never been tickled before?" Elsa asked, eyebrows looking worried, or concerned. She wondered if what she just did was okay.

"Elsa?" Anna took her fingers away and held her hands out to Elsa, wondering it seems why her own touch did not work. Maybe she thought Elsa held some sort of magic that she could give to Anna.

The thought made her chuckle.

"You can't really tickle yourself, Anna. Others can though." She put her fingers out menacingly, to which Anna instinctively flinched away, already smiling as if she were tickled.

Elsa showed her that it was no magic as she tried to tickle her face. She kept her face stoic to show Anna that she was unable to tickle herself. Anna eventually reached forward, curious to see if she understood what Elsa was trying to say. She touched Elsa's clothed stomach, looking up to see Elsa smiling at her, but that was it.

She wiggled her finger.

A giggle.

Elsa realized she had made a mistake when the mass of red hair smiled at her wickedly.

"Wait… Anna. We have to get ready for-" She burst out laughing.

Anna had grabbed her and threw her onto the bed, fingers doing their best to mimic the earlier attacks upon herself. Revenge was sweet as Elsa writhed beneath Anna, unable to pry away stronger arms. At least, it was revenge at first. Anna soon noticed that she liked Elsa's laugh, liked being in control of it. She felt warm as she realized she had instinctively gone under Elsa's shirt to maximize the tickles, somehow knowing that skin on skin contact would make it all the easier. The positioning itself also did something to Anna, her body being over Elsa's, her face getting closer and closer to that smile that spewed laughter. She wanted something, something that only Elsa could give.

What though?

"I'm sorry, okay? Really, Anna, we have to get ready for breakfast." Elsa said, the tickles suddenly having stopped, giving her time to breathe and talk.

Anna stood over her, looking completely blank, her mind trying to figure out things that were well out of her comprehension.

"What?" Elsa asked.

Anna simply moved to the side, falling on the bed away from Elsa. She felt there was something she wanted, but going for it felt wrong. She wanted to be closer to Elsa, closer than tickling, but the thought seemed wrong. For some reason she pictured Elsa growing angry, just like when she rejected the rabbit. Anna didn't want that. She only wanted to grow closer was all.

Anna growled to herself as she realized how confusing people like Elsa were, that is to say people that were not Half-Beasts.

"Oh no, you're not going back to bed." Elsa took her moving away as something different.

Anna didn't get to go back to sleep.

No, Anna found herself at the desk, looking grumpy as Elsa took a comb and brush to her hair. Elsa wondered if this was the toughest battle she'd ever been in. She remembered the fight to leave Anna's village and dared to compare it to the fight of combing out Anna's hair.

It was hard to tell which was worse, honestly.

It was indeed a hard fought battle, one that would be remembered for the ages. The comb, god rest its soul, would have to be put down. It had lost several teeth in the battle against Anna's mane. It would never be the same comb it once was. Elsa gave it a quiet prayer as she threw it into the trash, a true hero it was. The brush fared better, having a much easier time after the comb vanguard had done its work. Elsa found that despite what looked like a lack of self care, Anna's hair was beautiful. It was luscious, thick, and so very soft. Elsa was surprised, she had expected scraggly and scratchy hair due to Anna living a less than luxurious life.

"You wouldn't mind if we did something with your hair would you? You wouldn't want to look anything less than your best for the queen, right?" Elsa asked, having fun playing in Anna's hair.

A tired growl was her response.

Elsa did indeed style Anna's hair. It was fun for her, seeing as she only had little brothers who never wanted her to go anywhere near their hair, not that they had long enough hair to do anything with. Still, Elsa had always wondered what it would be like to have a little sister. She imagined it would be similar to now, braiding one another's hair in the morning, tickle attacks. She imagined there would be less growling, but all in all it would be similar. The only real difference Elsa could think of was that if Anna was actually her little sister, then that would mean that Elsa would have to be the protector.

Things seemed to be the other way around in this relationship, despite Anna's obviously younger features.

"There, done." Elsa finally said after some time, finishing her work in Anna's hair.

She beckoned Anna out of the chair, to which the beast girl tried to make a getaway to the bed. Elsa managed to stop her, redirecting her towards the huge mirror next to the wardrobe. "So, tell me what you think?" Elsa smiled as the two stood in front of the mirror.

Anna looked on at the mirror. The sight of herself did not shock her, as she had seen her reflection in water many times. She was somewhat amazed that Elsa's people managed to recreate the effect with an object, but what really caught her attention was what Elsa did with her hair. Now, instead of being free flowing or a disastrous mess, her hair was in two braids, each one falling on a different shoulder. Anna reached up and touched at one of the braids. Honestly she didn't care much for hairstyles, she imagined her hair might be easier to maintain this way, but other then that she did not care.

Elsa was smiling.

However, if it mattered so much to Elsa.

Anna gave a great big smile, one that wasn't hard to fake when faced with one of Elsa's smiles.

"Ah, so she likes it. Good." Elsa said, happy that Anna seemed to like it.

Elsa went to do her own hair, wondering how much time she had left before needing to be at breakfast. She took her hair out of its braid and began to brush away at it. It had been some time since it had left the braid, meaning she had a bit of work to do.

"Elsa." Anna called.

Elsa didn't have time to try and figure out what Anna wanted, because Anna immediately did what she wanted. She took the brush from Elsa and began to brush away at her hair. Elsa smiled, liking where this was going. She relaxed in the chair and let Anna brush away at her hair, just like Elsa had done before. It was therapeutic, to be taken care of by Anna. Perhaps Elsa was getting too used to it, or maybe she hadn't felt it enough since the village. Maybe she missed it. Who knows? All that mattered was that she was enjoying this, and the smile on Anna's face told her that Anna enjoyed it as well.

Too bad they ended late because of it.

Elsa rushed down the hallway, nearly bumping into another servant.

"Sorry!" Elsa called out as she went by.

"Quite, alright sir." The servant boy called back, a slight swagger to his step.

He turned to find a very unhappy, horned beast staring him down. He nearly wet himself as Anna growled at him.

"Hurry, Anna! We're late!" Elsa called back.

Anna snorted at him before running after Elsa, leaving the poor boy to wonder if he had really seen what he had or if he should stop sneaking alcohol from the royal winery.

Elsa, having used directions from various servants, came to a sliding stop in front of the doors to the royal dining room where the queen was to be having her breakfast this morning. She breathed heavy as she straightened out her clothes and made sure her hair was okay. She turned and gave a look to Anna, seeing that the girl barely looked like she ran at all. Elsa sighed as she realized that the stamina difference between her and Anna was truly a great one.

Elsa raised a hand and knocked on the doors.

"Come in." A voice commanded from inside.

Elsa took one more breath before straightening herself out and opening the doors. She found herself in an almost normal looking dining room. It wasn't exactly where she expected the queen to take her dinner and breakfast. The room was hardly lavish, looking to cater to the more basic of needs. Sure, the food on the table looked impressive, but the scenery seemed plain. The most expensive looking thing was likely the rust colored carpet. She noticed the queen at the table, looking to have not eaten yet. Beside her was the handsome man from before, the one who seemed to have two names. He too sat at the table, though not fully armored like he was before. Still, he carried a sword at his side. Elsa approached the table and stood for a moment, not knowing what to do.

"Please, have a seat where the food has been placed. You missed the kitchen staff arrive earlier." The queen told her.

Elsa did as was told, taking a seat nearest the queen and across from Flynn. Anna of course took the seat next to Elsa, looking down at her plate with hungry eyes.

"May I say, It is an honor to have breakfast with you, your majesty." Elsa said, feeling quite proud at the grace with which she said it.

The queen stared for a moment. "You've been practicing saying that all morning haven't you?" The queen smiled.

Elsa blushed at having been caught so easily, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

"Don't worry, everyone gets nervous around the princess here. You just have to realize she's just as weird as any other person you'll meet and it becomes easier." Flynn told her, giving a handsome smile.

"I'm the queen." She corrected.

"I'm sorry If I offended you, your majesty, I've just never been in front of anyone who commanded so much respect." Elsa said, still feeling nervous about this entire situation, worried that one wrong move could land her at the gallows.

The queen sighed. "Really, I like it better when you're not so formal. You should learn from your friend, she knows exactly how I like it." She gestured to Anna.

Elsa turned to see Anna already digging into her plate, face stuffed with meat.

"Anna!" Elsa hissed.

Anna just looked to her, still chewing her mouthful of breakfast ham.

Flynn laughed at the sight. "They say you should appreciate a woman who isn't afraid to show her appetite. At least, I heard that once from an old man with no teeth. Can't say all of his advice was good." He added in easily.

"And what other advice did he give?" The queen asked, cutting a slice of ham on her plate into smaller pieces.

Flynn stuffed a few spoonful of eggs into his mouth. "For one he said not to talk with your mouth full." He said, having pushed the eggs to the side of his mouth. "But then how would we uphold conversation over breakfast?"

"I meant along the lines of _interesting _advice." She corrected.

Flynn swallowed his eggs. "Let's just say that if I followed his advice, you'd all be dead and I'd have run off with your coin long ago."

Elsa's mouth fell open at what he had just said. Had he really said that to the queen? Elsa looked to the queen, expecting her to suddenly stand up and demand the guard, to demand he have his head removed at the earliest convenience.

"Maybe you should have taken his advice, then you wouldn't have to serve me for the rest of your life." She said easily.

"There's worst things out there then serving a princess for eternity." He shrugged, going for more eggs.

"I'm the queen." She said, eyebrows furrowing a bit.

Elsa didn't know what to say about the exchange, only glad that the guard had not been called. She yelped as suddenly there was a large slice of ham thrown onto her plate, the piece looking like it had been ripped straight off the ham itself. She turned to the only culprit who lacked the manners to do such a thing. Anna just looked at her, gesturing to the meat, her face too stuffed to use any words.

"I believe she wants you to eat, young sir." The queen said.

"Yeah, man, eat up. You don't get food this good outside the castle, so enjoy it for as long as you can." Flynn was quick to throw in his response as well.

Elsa, once again, did as was advised. She took a bite of her eggs, an explosion of seasoning and delicacy that only the castle could bring had erupted in her mouth.

Well, at least she understood why Anna was still stuffing her face.

Elsa noticed throughout the meal that herself and Anna had terrible table manners compared to Flynn and Rapunzel. While the queen had far more etiquette than Flynn, he still managed to stay well above Elsa. She sometimes found her elbows on the table, using the wrong fork, and just being plain messy compared to the others. She tried to take pride in the fact that she was better than Anna, but it was hard to feel any pride when she remembered that this was Anna's first ever meal outside of her village. She supposed she should be glad that Anna had not downright stolen others' food and asserted dominance over the table.

Elsa was unaware that Anna had briefly thought about something along those lines when she first sat down.

"So, Larsa?" The queen called after finishing the last morsel she could handle.

Elsa was in the middle of eating a piece of ham when she turned to listen to the queen.

"I'm hoping that since you are now a part of my special few, that you are ready to prove yourself worthy of it." She told her.

Elsa nearly choked with how fast she tried to swallow her food to answer.

"Of course, my queen." Elsa quickly responded. She thought to gather Anna's attention, but thought better of it. She once heard that a man was bitten by a dog when he tried to tear it away from its food bowl.

The queen looked to Flynn, green eyes sparkling. "You hear that? He said queen."

Flynn gave a shrug, a piece of ham hanging off his lip. "Whatever you say, princess." The ham fell back on his plate.

A roll of the eyes before her attention was back on Elsa. "There's a city in the kingdom, a small village really. They aren't officially a part of Arendelle, as they refused to fuse with the kingdom long ago when Arendelle was founded. Still, we do trade with them and they are within our lands, so we watch out for them like they were our own." The queen paused for a moment, popping a grape into her mouth. She made sure to finish chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "The problem is that some intel seems to point to the southern isles targeting that location next."

When the queen seemed to wait for a response, Elsa decided to speak.

"Will you not send soldiers?" She asked.

"The council of Arendelle will never agree to send out a large group to protect such a small village, not to mention one that is not even officially a part of Arendelle. It doesn't help that we are at war and so a lot of our troops are sent to the front line where the main force for the southern isles will be." She finished.

Elsa thought that was horrible. Even if the village did not officially unite with Arendelle during the initial birth of the kingdom, they were still a village that they did trade with. Still, Elsa wondered what this had to do with her.

"Was there… something I could do about this?" Elsa asked, having a small idea of what the queen might say.

The queen smiled. "The council has no sway over where I send my special few. There will be a caravan of goods sent to the village today. It will be _heavily_ guarded as there are a few extra goodies for the villagers and we wouldn't want bandits getting at it, now would we?" The queen paused to gauge Elsa's reaction. It seemed that Elsa already knew what she was going to ask. "I plan on sending you and your friend to help watch over these goods."

So that was it, Elsa was being sent to war.

Well, war would be an overstatement. She was being sent to a location that could potentially be placed under a small attack. If the village really was small and known not to be a part of Arendelle, then she doubted the southern isle's would place such importance over obtaining it that they would send half their army. No, they would send a small unit. If Elsa did go, they would also have the advantage, as they know the southern isle will be coming. They would have a place to defend from, the knowledge to set things up prior as well.

It wouldn't be war, not even a skirmish, more of a defense.

Elsa tried to hold onto that knowledge as she nodded her head at the queen.

"Of course, your majesty. Both me and Anna will defend the… 'goods' as best we can." She said, already catching onto the queen's plan.

The queen gave another smile. "Good, the goods could take days to sell off in the village, so pack yourself some clothes." She looked Elsa up and down. "Please feel free to use anything that was provided in your room. I'm sure the wardrobe is full as well." She said as subtly as she could.

Elsa looked down at her peasant clothes and blushed, just now realizing that she had come to breakfast with the queen looking like she toiled away in dirt all day.

"The caravan leaves some time in the afternoon. I'd get a head start if I were you." Flynn told her.

Elsa took that as her que to leave. She stood up, bowing to the queen and promising once again that she would do her best. Elsa was immensely embarrassed as she tried to get Anna to stand, only for the girl to growl at her, arms coming up to cover her meat as if Elsa was going to take it. Elsa could tell from the volume of the growl and the slight questioning look on Anna's face that she was not actually going to harm her. Still, it was embarrassing to have it done in front of both Flynn and the queen when she was supposed to be some great animal tamer that had tamed Anna.

"Anna, we're leaving!" She commanded.

Anna ripped into another piece of meat.

Elsa growled and went to grab her again, but an idea formed in her head. She didn't say anything, and instead just left. She walked away from Anna, head held high to look as though she were in control and knew exactly what Anna would do.

Luckily, Anna was a bit predictable.

Anna watched her go and had to make the choice between continuing to stuff her face or chase after her. It took a few seconds but eventually she growled in agony as she stood up and left behind the most delicious meal she had ever had. She wondered if this food was held over a fire like the food Elsa had before. If so, then she now knew why Elsa did such a thing. It made the food taste delicious. She hoped she would get to have more later.

Rapunzel and Flynn watched them both leave, Anna trailing after Elsa.

"He said 'best'." Rapunzel suddenly said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Flynn looked at her.

"He didn't say something like 'I'll make sure to defend the village' or 'No harm will come to anyone'. He said 'I'll do my best'." She said.

Flynn digested that for a moment. "Not everyone is so confident or foolish to say such words."

The queen hummed. "Well, the best is all I ask for. But it's not him I'm counting on." She said.

Flynn looked to the giant ham that was nearly halfway gone, the slices being completely ruined thanks to chunks being ripped off.

"Yeah… I doubt he could lift a sword. Still, who needs a sword when you have a Half-Beast at your beck and call." Flynn shrugged, wondering how mad the kitchen staff would be at the sight of this.

Ignorant to the conversation that was held after she left, Elsa walked back to her room, Anna in tow. She wondered about how she should prepare for this mission. The queen had told her of clothes in the wardrobe, but what of weapons and armor? That seemed far more important. She supposed she could always ask later. For now she should focus on packing clothes. The village could be days away for all she knew.

Elsa entered her room and went straight for the wardrobe, opening it and finding various slacks and tunics, all of them being men's clothes. She wasn't troubled by this of course, in fact she was happy. She was pretending to be a man after all.

Elsa had barely begun to pick out clothes when someone knocked on the door.

"It's Kai, Sir." A voice called.

Elsa went and opened the door, not worrying about Anna who was laying on the bed, not attempting to rest, but just enjoying the soft feeling of it.

"Yes?" She asked once the door opened.

"Gifts from the queen, sir."

Behind Kai stood two male servants, both of them carrying the 'gifts' from the queen. Both asked for permission to enter Elsa's room to drop off said gifts, to which Elsa agreed.

A growl from the bed.

Both servants stopped cold at the sight of Anna lounging on the bed.

"No, Anna!" Elsa warned.

Anna looked a bit annoyed or confused before turning away, deciding that if there was trouble, she could easily get up and handle it before Elsa was hurt.

"He really controls it." One servant said to the other.

The other servant didn't seem so convinced, but he was grateful that Elsa was there nonetheless. The two of them dropped off the items on Elsa's desk before bowing and leaving, both watching Anna just in case.

Her back remained to them.

"Kai." Elsa spoke up as she approached the door, catching Kai before he could leave.

"Yes, sir?" He looked to Elsa.

"Will you come get me when it is time for the caravans to leave?" She asked.

Kai smiled with a small bow. "That was the plan, sir. Anything else?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "No, that's all I needed." She gave a slight bow to Kai as well, not knowing if she was supposed to bow to a servant or not.

Kai bid her a good morning and left. Elsa closed the door and went over to the desk, finding armor and a leather sack to pack her clothes in. Elsa looked to the pouch and decided to change clothes before putting on her armor. She might as well ditch her peasant clothing if she was being awarded with so much more clothing, right?

Anna was attempting to ignore Elsa, to show her that she didn't like being put down before she could show dominance over the two that entered. However, the sound of shuffling cloth was too much to ignore. She turned to Elsa, curious about the noise.

Her face erupted into flame.

Elsa stood with her back to Anna in nothing but the skin she was born in. Anna nearly choked at the sight of perfectly pale skin, skin that was unblemished. The only obstruction were the leaves that Anna had applied to her at one point. Truthfully the leaves could go by now, their healing effect was strong and didn't take more than a day or two to heal scratches. The leaves would fall off on their own eventually, as the resin would, at some point, give way.

Anna felt heat in a place she never really thought much about as Elsa bent the slightest bit to pull on a pair of men's underwear. Anna saw something she knows she shouldn't have seen. A flower beside its bud was the best description she had.

By the time Elsa finished dressing and turned back, Anna was already facing away, hiding her reddened face and heart that was beating faster than she'd ever felt. A flame had settled in her lower belly, a feeling she didn't understand, but wanted to explore.

"Wow, Anna." Elsa suddenly said. "You've got to try these clothes. I've never had brand new clothes before. Or at least, these feel brand new." Elsa was smiling like a child, never had she felt such comfortable clothing that fit so well. True, the shirt and pants were slightly too big since they were meant for men, but a belt was all it took to fix that. The extra slack in the shirt helped hide her breasts as well. She was thankful in this moment that she was not well endowed, or at least not so well endowed as to look like she had melons stashed away under her shirt.

Anna remained with her back turned.

"Fine, be that way. You can get dressed later." Elsa told her kindly, unaware of the turmoil going on in Anna's mind.

Elsa dressed in the armor given to her, finding it easy to move in and much lighter than the armor gifted to her as a soldier. She imagined it was easier to pierce, and while that was frightening, she was thankful that it wasn't so heavy as to tire her out.

She was just finishing tying the armored boots when she noticed Anna's bare and clawed feet standing beside her. She smiled up at the beast girl, still happy about the new clothes and armor.

"Ready to try on your clothes now?" Elsa asked, excited at the idea of getting to dress Anna up.

"Elsa…" Anna barely seemed to get out, her breathing somewhat heavy.

Elsa stood, wondering what was wrong.

"What is it?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.

Anna didn't know what to do, how to express what she was feeling, so she just did what came to mind.

She moved in close to Elsa, eyes staring back into hers. She saw the way Elsa began to grow uncomfortable with the silence, but Anna didn't know what else to do. She grabbed Elsa's hand and forced her to touch her chest, to feel her heart that was threatening to break through her rib cage. She nearly collapsed to the floor at the feeling of Elsa's finger brushing her nipple.

"Geez, Anna, your heart… and you're burning up. Are you sick?" Elsa questioned, her mind nowhere near on the same level as Anna's. She was unable to draw the same conclusion, unable to even think of what Anna was actually feeling.

"Elsa." Anna begged, begged for something.

She guided Elsa's hand down, lower and lower. Elsa took in a breath when her fingers came to stop on the top of Anna's trousers. She stopped it there, but Anna tried forcing her down more.

"Anna… ?" She questioned.

A knock at the door was what it took to break them up.

"Sorry, sir. It's Kai again. I've forgotten to bring you your weapon."

Anna had jumped away at the first knock, eyes wide open and almost looking like she was lost, like she didn't understand how she'd gotten to where she was. Elsa stared back at her, eyes equally as wide, wondering just what happened.

"Sir?" Kai again.

"Yes… I mean yes, I'm coming." Elsa said, looking away from Anna and walking towards the door.

Elsa opened the door, finding Kai standing there with a sheathed sword that looked very similar to the same ones that she'd seen the knights using.

"Here you are, sir. A fine sword if I do say so myself." Kai said, glad to be rid of the weight once he handed it off to Elsa.

Elsa did her best to not to show how much the weight of the sword effected her.

"Thank you, Kai."

"Of course, sir."

Once again the door was closed and Elsa and Anna were left alone. A beast and a girl. A beast who lived out in the open, a girl who hid behind a fake name. A beast with feelings, a girl who knew. A beast that wanted more, a girl that would…

"Anna." Elsa called, looking to the beast of a girl who had her back turned to her, looking like the shamed puppy in the corner. Elsa bit at her lip until she looked to the wardrobe. "Let's… let's get you dressed, okay?"

A beast that wanted more, A girl that would rather ignore it.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey! I don't know what to say this time except that maybe chapters will get a bit slower because my brain sucks and I can't think of anything lol. But enough about that, lets get to the reviews 3.

Laryssa1234: Yes, she will be needing that luck.

JustAnInnocentDevil: hmm i'm not sure if this will be a slowburn or not... maybe a Midburn... i really dont know xD.

DreamWalker: Thanks, it helps to know I can take my time a bit.

Lance58: I don't think its too spoiler to say that Elsa is not a Half-Beast. She does have powers though... maybe she's some sort of crazy child born from some sick ritual out in a forest and Anna recognized the scent from the forest! ... okay I'm stretching it, but it could be something interesting like that lol.

Ty guys for the reviews. I'm sorry if this A/N seems really short and I didn't respond as much as I normally do to reviews. However I have somewhere i Have to go this morning, but I wanted to make sure to get this chapter out for you guys instead of making you wait. See you again next chapter guys.

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Elsa found out that the trip she was taking involved three different caravans, all of them stuffed with goods. The queen was smart with her plan on this one. Even if someone didn't want soldiers being sent to the village, there was no denying that this caravan would require quite the bit of protection. She walked out of the castle and towards the front gates where the caravans were set up. The sword at her hip gave her little confidence, most of it coming from the fact that it made her look just a bit more intimidating along with the armor. She knew she couldn't wield it properly if worse came to worse, but she could at least swing it.

Her thoughts continued to focus on everything in front of her, doing her best not to think about the Half-Beast that walked beside her.

Anna's thoughts focused on the opposite. She didn't care where they were going or why they were walking towards animals that were hooked up to structures on wheels. She didn't care that there were many soldiers out and about, a lot of them around the caravan and helping to have it filled with goods. All Anna cared about was the mistake she had made earlier. She had been so stupid, so full of feelings that she couldn't control. She didn't think what she did was 'wrong' per say, but she knew that it made Elsa uncomfortable, made her want to not be around Anna. She didn't need to understand Elsa to read her body language. The woman was nervous, avoiding Anna, and suddenly paying a lot less attention to her.

Anna wished she could find another reflection of herself so that she may smash it, hoping that in some way she could punish herself for such stupidity.

Elsa walked up to who she assumed was the leader of this trip, seeing as he was barking out orders to someone. She noted that the man looked foreign, she wondered just where he was from.

"I want these horses moving within ten minutes! Do you understand?!" The man barked out to a cowering soldier.

"Yes, sir!"

"… Well? Move it soldier! Get these caravans loaded!" He yelled at the quivering man.

The soldier ran off, running past Elsa and Anna in a rush to follow his captain's orders. Elsa gulped at the display. She realized that her former captain was truly nice in comparison.

"And just who are you?" The captain asked after noticing Elsa.

"U-um. Sir! I am Larsa, Sir! I was sent by the queen to-"

"So you're the rumored 'Beast Tamer'." He said after a moment, noticing Anna standing beside her.

"Sir!" Was all she said back, posture straight and hands at her side, like she was taught when she first joined the army.

He eyed her for a moment. "Your posture is sloppy, one little gust of wind would knock you over." He said, seeming angry.

To prove his point, he gave Elsa a rather forceful push with two of his fingers, sending her nearly toppling over.

Anna growled at the display.

Elsa quickly shot out a hand to stop her when she noticed Anna take a step forward.

"No, Anna!" She commanded.

Anna obeyed, although reluctantly.

The captain scoffed at the sight. "It seems the rumors hold some merit. Good. Keep your beast in check, I would hate to have to wet my blade on those not flying under the southern isles' banner." He said with the utmost seriousness.

"She'll behave, sir." Elsa responded, feeling a small flame burn in her at his words.

The two stared at each other for a three seconds before, "Well? Are you waiting for mommy's permission, boy?! Get moving and get these supplies into the caravans!" He commanded.

The sudden volume startled Elsa. "Y-yes, Sir."

"It's captain to you soldier. While you are following my troops, you will be under my orders. If this does not sit well with you, then you can tell the queen that the assistance of her select few is not needed." He told her, though even he knew he could not get rid of Elsa so easily.

She didn't know that however.

"Yes, sir- I mean captain!"

"Good. It's captain Shang. Now get moving soldier." He commanded more softly now, satisfied that Elsa would be following his orders.

"Yes, Captain Shang!" Elsa gave a small bow before moving to help others that she saw transporting supplies.

Anna followed suit, but not before eyeing the captain, to which he merely tapped at his blade that was sheathed. Elsa ran over and found the soldiers were hefting large sacs full of rice and barrels of some liquid. She hefted up one of the rice bags, nearly falling over at the immense and rather unbalanced weight. Elsa practically waddled back to the caravan where she dumped it on top of another in a pile.

She ran back to repeat the process, already feeling tired after the first one.

Anna watched her do it two more times before deciding that she was bored of watching. When Elsa came back the forth time, breath heavy, Anna held out an arm to stop her.

"Anna?" Elsa questioned. She tried to move around, but the girl walked in front of her. "What are you doing?"

She watched as Anna hefted three of the bags and placed them over one shoulder. The girl barely gave a grunt as she jogged over to the caravan and dropped off the sacs. She ran back to do it again, Elsa watching with her mouth hung open, as Anna did it again. She wasn't the only one however. The soldiers that were helping to transport the goods had mostly stopped, all eyes on Anna who was hefting more than anyone could carry. Elsa imagined that they may have been feeling a lost of pride at seeing a girl out lift them without breaking a sweat.

She found this to be true when a more stronger man had managed to pick up four of the sacs. He caught eyes with Anna on the way back, smirk on his face as he placed the four sacs on the back of the caravan.

Anna narrowed her eyes at him.

Elsa watched as Anna hefted up six bags and jogged back to the caravan.

The man came back and wrestled up seven of them. Elsa watched with a bit of a smile as he collapsed halfway, dropping the sacs and dropping his pride. Some of the soldiers laughed at his expense, though most seemed unsure if it was okay to laugh in Anna's presence, as if the mere thought of joyous expression might make her come down on their heads. Anna walked by him and snorted, going for more rice sacks.

Elsa wondered how the man could not possibly keep up with Anna, seeing as he was much bigger than her. Elsa looked to Anna, seeing her muscles ripple and move in the new clothing that Elsa provided her with earlier. Elsa suspected that there was more to it than sheer muscle. Perhaps Anna's Half-Beast nature just gave her more strength that wasn't seen.

Elsa noticed there were only a few rice sacks left.

"Anna." She called once Anna came back to claim more. Anna stopped and looked to her. "We can let them get the rest of those, its only a few. You should probably put that strength to the test with something bigger." Elsa said as she walked over to the barrels full of what could have been wine or water.

Anna walked over.

Elsa attempted to pick up a barrel, though it was mostly for show, just so Anna would understand what she wanted her to do next. Anna was quick to shoo her away, thinking this would be another way to impress Elsa. Which she did quite amazingly as she hefted up the barrel that normally took two or three men to move. Elsa could see the strain it had on Anna, the girl not realizing just how heavy it would be. Before Elsa could even suggest offering to help, Anna waddled away with the barrel, not daring to try and heft it onto her shoulder.

Anna wondered if she had embarrassed herself in front of Elsa since she could not easily lift the barrel like she did the earlier items. She found out that this was not the case when she came back after dumping off the barrel and found Elsa smiling at her, even giving a small applause. While the meaning of clapping was lost on Anna, she did understand that Elsa was quite happy with her. She was more than happy to display her power by moving more barrels.

The morning progressed in much the same manner. Anna would move things while Elsa watched, unless of course it was something light that Elsa herself could move. No one seemed to complain either way, if anything they preferred when Elsa just watched Anna, keeping the beast under control. At one point, Elsa had some faith that Anna may fit in someday. A man had walked up, nervous, but wanting to do something he felt needed to be done. He approached Anna and thanked her for hefting the barrels, telling her that it was a job he was glad he missed out on doing. Anna, being Anna, simply glared at him the entire time. It fell to Elsa to respond for her, the blonde telling him that Anna wasn't good with words and so Elsa had to thank him for his kind words. The soldier had shrugged it off, smiling at Elsa and bidding a farewell.

Anna made a rough noise at his back.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be hostile to everyone." Elsa told her.

Anna went back to heavy lifting.

Eventually the caravan's were filled, a lot of progress being made up for thanks to Anna's incredible strength. Some of the soldiers rode with the caravan, but most were preparing to ride their horses. That was when Captain Shang approached Elsa with two horses.

"Mount up, we're leaving." Was all he had to say on the matter.

"Yes, Captain Shang." Elsa responded immediately.

The captain left and Elsa stared at the two mammals presented to her.

One of them snorted at her.

Elsa had not ridden a horse since she was a young teenager at a fair that had come to Arendelle once. Even then the horse was trained to walk for small periods of time per customer. It also was not nearly as big as these horses that stood much taller than Elsa herself. Still, the man that attended the riding session had given her some direction on how to ride a horse, surely this wouldn't be too different. Elsa walked to its side and tried to pull herself up and onto the saddle. Embarrassingly she could not do it.

"Um… Anna, a little help please?" She called to the only person that wouldn't laugh at her.

Anna was staring at the other horse, both locked in a battle of eye contact. Elsa was about to question just what she was doing, but then Anna suddenly growled and lunged at the horse. The scared horse whinnied and ran off, leaving Anna to stand there, smirk on her face. Elsa realized that Anna was messing with the horse, scaring it on purpose to amuse herself.

"Anna!" Elsa scolded.

Anna looked to her.

"Stop that and come help me." She told her, making sure to look angry. She wanted Anna to know that she was not amused by her behavior.

Anna grumbled to herself as she walked over to Elsa.

"Give me a boost." Elsa told her as she tried to climb the horse again.

Anna didn't do anything.

"Anna?"

Still nothing.

"Anna?!" Elsa turned to find Anna standing there and staring at her. She realized that Anna didn't know what she wanted. "Just… here." She took Anna's hands and placed them on her waist. "Now just… boost me." Elsa said, pushing Anna's hands deeper into her waist and pulling them upwards to indicate she wanted Anna to push her up.

Anna gave nothing away to let Elsa know if she understood or not.

"Okay… on three, One, two… Three!" She jumped up to try and get on the horse.

There was a moment of struggle before Anna seemed to understand and pushed Elsa upwards. Elsa went stomach first over the saddle.

"Okay, that wasn't so- Anna!" Elsa blushed.

Anna had her hands on Elsa's rear, still trying to push.

"I'm up, Anna, stop!" Elsa didn't know how to feel about this. She knew Anna wasn't doing it on purpose, but this was the most anyone had ever touched her in such a way. She should have been offended.

It just made her face hot.

Anna took her hands away when Elsa threw a leg over the horse and sat up properly. Anna, not being as ignorant as Elsa thought, had let her hands touch Elsa's posterior for longer than was necessary. At first it was out of curiosity, wanting to know why touching Elsa there made her feel funny, but soon she realized that it was just like the encounter from earlier. She wanted to touch Elsa there, for whatever strange reason. She did eventually let go, worried that Elsa would grow angry at her.

Anna could be smart when needed.

"Okay." Elsa said after sitting upright on the horse. "Now about your-" She paused as she realized that Anna's horse had run off somewhere. "Um… Hmm." She hummed in thought, looking around to see if she could find another horse. "Maybe we can- Anna?!" Once again Elsa was thrown off balance.

Anna grabbed a hold of the saddle and pulled herself up behind Elsa. Anna didn't understand why Elsa wanted to be on top of this animal, but she wouldn't question it. Instead she decided that she would join her, perhaps she would find out for herself what the appeal was.

"Well… I guess we can both ride." Elsa said, figuring this might be better anyway. Anna surely didn't know how to ride a horse, so why not share?

The order to move out eventually came from the captain. Elsa spurred her horse into a small trot like she remembered being taught at the fair. Her horse jostled, moving forward and nearly making Anna fall off. Anna growled at the creature, ready to sink her claws into his hind quarters.

A giggle from Elsa stopped her.

"You have to hold on, silly." Elsa told her, grabbing Anna's hands and putting them around her waist.

Anna found her appeal in riding the horse when she laid her head on Elsa's shoulder and sighed contently.

The ride itself was long, Elsa found out. It took nearly two days of horseback riding to arrive at the village. There were many times where Elsa took the time to get off of her horse and rub at her sore bottom. She didn't know that riding on an animal all day could cause for a sore bum. She figured that Anna must have taken a liking to the animals, seeing as every time she got off to rest, Anna had this look of disappointment on her face as she climbed off as well.

Surprisingly, no one really bothered Elsa. She expected the soldiers to be angry with her for bringing Anna along, but most kept to themselves. Sure, there were a few that threw angry looks her way every now and again, but no one had walked up to her and started trouble. In fact, the only things people actually had to say to her were positive. One man had congratulated her on taming Anna and even inquired as to how it was done. Elsa had brushed the question off, saying something about 'trade secrets' and such. Another man, this one a bit more scared, had asked Elsa about Anna's diet. She clearly knew what he really wanted to know and she assured him that Anna preferred animal rather than humans.

She wasn't positive about that, but Anna didn't participate in eating people before when she was in the village.

Elsa also noticed that the leaves that Anna applied to her before had begun to fall off. At first she tried to keep them on, but realized sometime later that it was futile. She had peeled them off during another break, finding her skin was flawless beneath. No scars, no ugly blemishes, just pale skin. Elsa was amazed to say the least, she had been expecting to be permanently scarred. She had looked to Anna for questions at the time. The girl had offered her nothing beyond a small smile as she rubbed at the unblemished areas.

Elsa wondered if she should ever venture back into that forest someday with Anna, to collect more of these healing leaves.

Perhaps this would have been something that could have been done… If only Elsa hadn't pushed Anna away near the end of the trip.

It was during the last break they'd take for sleep out in the open. Tomorrow they'd reach the village. The night had been particularly cold. Elsa only had the one blanket and she was sharing a tent with Anna. The last night had been simple, Elsa had hogged the blanket, leaving Anna to sleep in the corner with nothing. She had tried offering the blanket up to Anna, insisting they could share, but Anna had scoffed and curled up in the corner. Elsa had shrugged it off and went to sleep. Tonight however was different. The night was cold, yet somehow Elsa had fallen asleep, shivering though she was. Anna didn't seem effected as she dozed in the corner, snores being a constant reminder of her presence.

Elsa had dreamed that night. She dreamed of red hair, pink lips, and muscled arms wrapped around her. Though she wouldn't remember it, the dream was a rather intense one. She remembered lips on her neck, a thigh between her legs, and a constant growl that set her body aflame.

She awoke to find Anna's arms wrapped around her. It could have been the dream that fueled her next actions, but either way she'd have no real excuse to give Anna.

Acting on sheer embarrassment and a bit of rage, Elsa gave Anna an elbow to the ribs. It was accidental, seeing as she was just trying to get out of Anna's arms, but she didn't apologize for it. No, Instead Elsa sat up, cover wrapped around her as she glared at Anna who was holding her side, curled up in a ball. The girl was clearly confused and went to say something to Elsa, but Elsa beat her to it.

"Anna! What is wrong with you?!" She harshly whispered, not wanting to wake anyone else up.

"Elsa… " Anna whispered back, confused at what was going on.

"I-I don't know what you think, Anna! But we can't do these things. It's not right." Then she took the cover and moved as far away from Anna as she could and settled there to sleep.

Anna, for her part, moved back to her corner, looking like a kicked puppy. The girl continued holding her side as she sat in the corner, staring at Elsa's back. Throughout her head, all she saw was Elsa growing angry at her for touching her, saw her move away and reject her. It was just like the rabbit. Anna didn't understand, couldn't understand. Instead she went to sleep, dreams plagued with nightmares of Elsa's angry face, spewing out words she did not understand, but understood the venom behind them.

As for Elsa, she went back to shivering as she tried to sleep. She was angry with Anna. Sure, she had not properly told Anna that they could not pursue such a relationship. However that wasn't okay for her to do what she did. Yes, Elsa had figured out Anna's feelings some time ago. She could deny it all she wanted, but everything led to the same conclusion.

Anna liked her in a way that was more than a friend.

Perhaps she was wrong, but it was hard to deny after everything that happened. She knew very little friends who were so willing to throw their life into danger to save another after first meeting them. She didn't know of any friends who were willing to give up their entire life just to follow someone else into the unknown. The final and most damning evidence was the way Anna acted before they left the castle. Elsa was no fool, she realized some time after that Anna was trying to initiate something very intimate. Anna seemed confused about it, so perhaps she didn't know exactly what she was doing, but the evidence was still there that Anna liked her as more than a friend, whether the girl realized it or not.

She had to be stern with Anna, to show her that… that nearly molesting Elsa in her sleep was not okay.

Of course… after some time to think and the constant shivering keeping her from sleeping. She realized that Anna's intent may not have been the way she thought. Anna was too kind to do something that Elsa would not agree to. Sure, she may try to initiate something, but this was when Elsa was coherent and awake. She would be able to reject her if needed. Elsa realized that it was more likely that Anna was cold and had come looking for body heat. The girl was under the covers after all when Elsa rebuffed her.

A look to Anna showed that the girl did not seem at all cold.

Ah… of course.

Anna had not come over because she was cold, she came over because Elsa was visibly shivering under the cover. She had come over to warm her. Elsa wished she was flexible enough to give herself a good kick in the rump right about now. She was only adding to the list of hurtful things she'd done to Anna. And what had Anna added to the list? Nothing. Anna had not hurt Elsa in anyway. Sure, there was the thing with the soldiers from her squadron, but Elsa wouldn't blame Anna for doing what she did naturally. She couldn't blame an enemy you were at war with for killing one of your friends. You could take revenge, but to say they were wrong… well that was a stretch.

Elsa fell asleep that night, her dreams thankfully blank. However the feeling she had in the morning made her sick when she saw that Anna had already left the tent before her when she normally waited for Elsa to wake up.

Even the rest of the trip went differently. When it came time to mount up and ride the horses, Anna had scared a man away from his horse and climbed atop it herself, forcing the man to hitch a ride on the back of the caravan. Some soldiers laughed about it, some were angry, but Elsa was saddened by it. One soldier questioned her as to why Anna was riding a horse without her, to which Elsa had no reply. Elsa just embarrassingly asked the man if she could help her get on her horse, to which he obliged with a small laugh.

They arrived at the village some few hours later.

"Alright, men! I want these goods sold off within three days!" Captain Shang announced as they entered the village.

Calls of 'yes, sir' and 'yes, captain' rang out.

Elsa dismounted her horse, quickly going over to Anna's horse.

"Come on, Anna. Let's help out." Elsa said as she walked up.

Anna looked to her for a moment before looking away.

"Anna!" Elsa called, beginning to grow upset, though it was mostly at herself for causing a rift in the first place.

Anna began dismounting her horse.

"Beast-Tamer." Captain Shang greeted Elsa as he walked up.

"Yes, Captain Shang?" Elsa stood proper, like she'd been taught.

He glanced at Anna before looking to Elsa again.

"I don't like to mince words, so I will just say it." He said. "Take a break for the duration of this trip."

Elsa blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"

He gestured his head towards Anna who was now standing a bit behind Elsa.

"It's not exactly easy to sell goods when no one is willing to approach us, thanks to your beast." He told her.

Elsa took a look around and saw that indeed there were many people that wanted to walk up to the caravans, eager to trade with the goods from Arendelle's capital. None dared to approach however with Anna being so close by, all of them staring at her in disbelief, not thinking such a being as Anna could truly exist.

Elsa nodded and looked back to the captain. "I see… is it okay for us to walk around?" She asked.

"Do whatever you wish, just stay away from the caravans during our stay." He told her.

Elsa gave another nod before beckoning Anna to follow with a sweep of her hand.

"Come on, Anna." She called.

She felt some relief when Anna followed behind her as she walked away. Elsa had no destination in mind, especially considering she'd never been in this village before. Elsa decided to just show Anna around, to show her the different way that people lived.

"I know its not as fancy as a giant hut in a tree, but this is what people normally live in." Elsa smiled at Anna, pointing to a small, but not too modest home.

Anna looked, then looked to Elsa, then looked to the ground, having no interest in such things, her mind more preoccupied with the dilemma that was getting close to Elsa.

Elsa realized this more or less.

"Right… moving on." And Elsa did move on.

Elsa showed Anna various things, though there wasn't much to see in such a small village. The only thing that Anna took a real interest in was the blacksmith that was hammering away in his shop. Taking an 'interest' may be saying it nicely, Anna in fact looked rather annoyed at the constant hammering. It was Elsa's quick thinking that kept trouble from arising as Anna was about to march over to the poor man.

"You want some food?" Elsa asked, just before Anna thought to leave and confront the man hammering away at steel.

Elsa almost laughed as Anna quickly turned to her. She had taught Anna what food was during their travels, always mentioning the word food whenever she shared her meals with Anna.

"Yes, Food." Elsa said again. "You want some food don't you?"

Anna got to sniffing around, even being so bold as to sniff at Elsa, wondering just where she was hiding it.

"Wait!" Elsa giggled. "I don't have it on me, Anna. I'm sure we can find a nice tavern or something." She told her.

And a tavern did they find.

Elsa walked into the first place where she smelled alcohol and food. Surely enough it was a small tavern that catered to the village. She walked in, Anna in tow, watching as several of the villagers stopped eating or drinking just to stare at Anna. Elsa was halfway to the counter when she decided to make a small announcement.

"She's friendly everyone." She told the people of the establishment.

No one seemed to believe her.

"Maybe it would be wiser to have you wear a cloak everywhere you go." Elsa chimed in, not wanting to hide Anna, but also not wanting to go through this every time she went somewhere.

Elsa approached the counter and took a seat, Anna following and taking her own seat as well. She was approached by a large man, looking like he lifted barrels all day.

"Are you… sure that she's safe?" He asked, thinking about the sword he kept under the bar.

Elsa gave a nod. "I uh… I'm a famous beast tamer from Arendelle. I tame tigers and lions for fun. She's just as easy to keep up with, this I promise." Elsa lied, not knowing what else to say to gain some small amount of trust. "She's a lot easier to deal with once she is fed though…" Elsa told him, letting it hang in the air.

The man cleared his throat, hairy arms coming up to fold in front of himself. "What do you want?" He asked.

"What kind of meat do you serve?" She asked instantly, remembering that Anna seemed to refuse to eat anything that wasn't already alive at some point. It had been a real hassle during the trip here.

"Meat…" He repeated as he stared at Anna who was staring back, though surprisingly in a more bored manner. "She good with chicken?" He asked.

"She's great with chicken." Elsa couldn't recall ever feeding Anna chicken, but meat was meat.

He nodded. "Okay, how about yourself, Ms.?" He asked.

Elsa coughed, her voice suddenly getting a tad deeper. "I'm a guy, sir." She told him.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"My uh… mother doesn't like me to cut my hair." She tried the same lie from before.

The man shrugged. "Right. What do you want then?"

Elsa thought for a moment before, "More chicken, and something to drink." She paused for a moment. "Actually some water for both of us."

"That all?"

"Yes."

"Right, food and drinks will be out when ready." He walked away, looking to Anna once more.

Anna just blinked at him.

"You're being surprisingly good for once." Elsa pointed out after he had left.

Anna gave a small growl in response, simply letting Elsa know that she heard her.

Truthfully Anna was being good. She had seen the way people looked at her since entering the village. All of them feared her. This, for some reason, made her excited, made her want to chase them just to see what would happen. She didn't of course, deciding that it wasn't worth Elsa getting angry with her. Elsa seemed to get upset whenever Anna challenged someone. She imagined it was because Elsa wanted to protect others like herself. Anna didn't see why she would want to do that, but as far as Anna was concerned, Elsa was strange anyway. So, when confronted by a man that was clearly bigger than her, she only sat and watched. She didn't growl or try to intimidate him into a duel. No, she just sat back and watched. Though it wasn't only just for Elsa this time. This time around she had heard the words food, and she could smell it all around her. This was obviously where Elsa planned to get her food, and Anna would much like to partake in a meal.

She would play good for now.

Quite awhile later, the man did come back out with both food and drink. He dropped both on the counter for Anna and Elsa, leaving them to eat while he attended other customers. Elsa looked down to her food. She saw that the man had given Anna a larger portion, though she couldn't complain about it.

Anna went to shove the food into her mouth.

"No, Anna." Elsa quickly stopped her.

Anna grumbled at her, eyebrows furrowed to show her displeasure at not getting to eat.

"I think it's time we teach you to use utensils." Elsa explained.

She took Anna's hands and placed a knife in one hand and a fork into another. Elsa took her own knife and fork and began cutting away at the meat.

"Like this." And she showed Anna the delicate process of cutting meat into a smaller portion to bite into.

Anna watched her do this three more times.

Then Anna did the most brutal display of food cutting that Elsa had ever seen. She took the fork and stabbed it dead center into the meat, took the knife and forced away meat rather than cutting it. Elsa was nothing but wide eyes as she watched the horrific display. Anna took the large portion that she had ripped away, stabbed her fork into it and shoved it into her sharp toothed maw. Elsa's mouth hung open as she did not realize that Anna's mouth could open so wide. She didn't know whether to scold Anna or be terrified at the sight.

She chomped down on the chicken, giving Elsa a rather unimpressed look as she did so.

"… We'll work on this more later." Elsa said, not really knowing what to say.

The two ate their food, though Anna saw fit to finish hers first and look to Elsa's plate next. Though Elsa made a good effort to defend her plate, all it took was one claw to rip away nearly half of Elsa's meat and have it thrown into the black hole that was Anna's mouth.

"Anna." Elsa growled at her, thinking that the only way to deal with her sometimes was by using her language.

Anna smiled at her and laughed with a mouth full of chicken before slapping Elsa under her chin with her greasy hand that had handled the chicken.

Once again Elsa was thoroughly shocked to have that done to her.

Anna's laugh triggered something in her.

Anna instantly shut up as a pale hand came up and slapped her under her chin. Now it was Elsa's turn to smile, while Anna looked shocked and in full disbelief. Anna made a curious growl in her throat before glaring at Elsa, cheeks stuffed with chicken. Elsa brought a hand up to hide her laugh at the sight. Anna went to slap at her chin, but Elsa was ready and slapped her hand away. She managed to slap Anna under her chin again, making the girl do a double take as she couldn't believe Elsa had done it again.

Elsa laughed a genuine laugh at that.

"Will there be anything else… sir?" The buff man who owned the establishment asked.

"Oh uh… Anna are you still-" Elsa was interrupted by a slap under her chin. "Anna!"

Anna laughed, chicken grease around her lips and cheeks looking like a squirrel's.

"I think she's fine now." Elsa told him, knowing that Anna could probably eat more, but feeling a bit of revenge was in order.

"Right...about the coin?" He asked.

"Oh, of course. How much is it?" Elsa asked as she reached towards her trousers.

The man told his price, but Elsa barely heard. Embarrassingly, she realized that she had forgotten her coin purse. Well, forgotten is what you do when you leave something. Elsa had never brought a coin purse with her to begin with since joining the army. She had all of her money siphoned to her family since joining.

"Uh…" Elsa was looking for an excuse. "I may have forgotten my… coins?" Elsa said, shrinking in her seat.

The man's eyebrows furrowed at that.

"Does this look like some sort of charity to you?" He asked.

"No, sir."

"You think because your some fancy soldier that you get to come in and eat for free?"

"No, sir-"

"Then what the hell are you doing?!" He asked, hands banging on the counter.

Anna growled at him, still chewing her food. His attention went to Anna and instantly he thought of the sword beneath the bar.

"Whoa, gentlemen, please." Someone suddenly called out.

Elsa turned to see a young soldier walk into the tavern. She thought she recognized his voice.

"What's the problem here?" He asked.

"He thinks that he's getting a free meal for himself and this monster here." the burly man said.

"She's not a monster!" Elsa defended.

Anna stood up, seeing as Elsa was also getting angry.

The man would have went for his sword, but suddenly a small pouch of coin was thrown onto the table.

"That's got to cover a little food, and perhaps a bit more for your trouble, sir." The young soldier told him.

The burly man took the pouch, opening it and finding something he liked.

He scoffed at both Elsa and Anna. "That covers the bill, but take your beast and go."

Elsa almost told him to go do something rather unpleasant with himself, however she realized that she did come in with no money and had been bailed out by one of the soldiers from the caravan. Instead of arguing back and potentially riling Anna up even more, she turned to leave.

"We're leaving, Anna." She said, always using this line when she could, to try and teach Anna what it meant.

Anna gave another growl before leaving with Elsa.

Elsa stepped outside the establishment and shook her head. She realized now that the situation could have gotten ugly fast. Despite her claims, she had no real control over Anna. Anna listened at times, but in truth, If Anna wanted to rip the man into pieces there was little that Elsa could do about it.

"Well… that was fun, huh?"

She turned to find the young soldier from before.

"Oh… thank you for that." Elsa said.

"No problem. Consider it my thanks." He said, smiling through his helmet.

Elsa looked confused. "Thanks?"

The man laughed a good laugh. He removed his helmet, showing Elsa that he was indeed young, younger than her. He looked eighteen, with dark hair and eyes. His skin was tanned, his features telling Elsa that he may not have been born in Arendelle, or at least his parents weren't from here.

"Before you got here, I was the runt of the litter." He told her in good nature. He rubbed at his hair with one hand, the helmet in the other. "The names Aladdin." He smiled as he thrust out his hand for a shake.

Elsa obliged in giving him a handshake. "I'm El- er Larsa."

Aladdin nodded. "Everyone who has heard of you calls you the 'Beast Tamer'." He let her know.

"Well… I do tame beasts. I travel Arendelle and conquer the most fiercest of animals." She looked to Anna who was staring Aladdin down. "Anna here is my latest and my favorite conquest." Elsa lied, once again finding it easier to tell a lie than the simple truth.

Well… Anna was special to her, she wasn't lying about that.

"You know I've tried taming one before." Aladdin said.

"Really?!" Elsa was shocked, had he seen another Half-Beast like Anna and lived.

"Yeah. A little monkey I named Abu. It's uh… not going very well." He told her with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Oh… of course." Elsa felt silly.

"Still going to hold onto those 'trade secrets' of yours? I could use the help." He said, not badgering Elsa to tell him, but more bringing it up for a laugh.

That was when Elsa remembered where she'd heard his voice. This was the same young man that had walked up to her and asked how she had trained Anna to listen to her. It explained why he asked now. Well, Elsa still had nothing to give him. Her best advice would be to let the monkey save him a few times and somehow garner its attraction so that it follows you around.

That seemed a terrible way to compare Anna's feelings, Elsa felt bad the moment she thought it.

"I wish I could tell you, but it is a secret." Elsa told him.

Aladdin held his hands up to show he was not serious. "No worries. I'll figure that monkey out if its the last thing I do though." He told her.

Anna watched as the two hit it off surprisingly fast. Soon they were laughing together and then, to Anna's dismay, Elsa and he began to walk off together, Aladdin gesturing somewhere in the distance. Anna grumbled to herself as she followed Elsa. Truthfully, Anna didn't get a bad feeling from this boy. He seemed harmless and easy to beat if it came to it. Elsa seemed to enjoy his presence and that should have been good. The problem was that it bothered her for some reason. She didn't understand why seeing Elsa laughing with him made her want to challenge him right then and there. She could take his head and present it to Elsa, to show Elsa that he was weak, weaker than her at the very least.

She remembered Elsa's angry face from last night and decided against it.

"Her names Jasmine." Aladdin said, in the middle of a conversation with Elsa. "I'm in the army to save up money so that she and I can go on a journey together. I want to show her the world." He said, smiling at the thought.

Elsa, being a girl, nearly aww'd at his proclamation. "I'm sure she'll love it." Elsa was smiling at him, the girl in her loving anything to do with romance.

Aladdin shrugged. "All I have to do is get past her father and her pet tiger."  
"Huh?" Elsa responded, looking like they were having a different conversation.

"Oh… it's nothing. Look we're here." He said.

Aladdin pointed to a building. Elsa looked, finding the Inn that he decided to show her. The two had been talking when Aladdin mentioned that the Inn had been rented out for the soldiers to use. Elsa had jumped at the information, wanting nothing more than a real bed under her, instead of the rocky ground of her tent.

She wouldn't mind resting for a bit now.

"I think I'll check in for a bit." Elsa told him.

"I see. Well, you and Anna here take care of yourselves." He told them both, giving Anna a boyish smile that she merely glared at.

Elsa found it nice that he was so quick to call Anna by her name once Elsa had told it to him.

"Wait, before you go." Elsa turned to Anna. "This is Aladdin." She told her. Anna looked to her. "Aladdin." She gestured to Aladdin.

Anna begrudgingly spoke up. "Aladdin." She said, though she looked to the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with the man she could find no fault with.

"Wow… that is cool." Aladdin said. "She's almost like a real person."

"She is a person." And Elsa meant it.

"Right, well I'll see you around, Larsa." He turned to Anna. "Later, Anna." He told her before leaving.

Elsa gave a wave at his departure. "Come on Anna, let's go." Elsa smiled to Anna as she walked towards the Inn.

Anna followed.

The inn keeper was surprised to say the least.

"A famous beast tamer you say?" The woman at counter asked.

"Yes." Elsa responded, reaching up and patting Anna's shoulder for effect. "She is no harm to anyone with me around. She's also been well fed before coming." It made Elsa feel weird referring to Anna as though she were an animal, but it was the only way for anyone to understand.

The old woman at the counter looked to Elsa now.

"Well… I suppose you are with the soldiers. I wouldn't want to cause a fuss between my establishment and the soldiers of Arendelle. No other guests besides the soldiers are staying, so I suppose there is no real problem if she really has traveled with you all together." The woman considered the lodging, finding that she couldn't find a fault with the situation.

"Thank you, ma'am. If it makes you feel easier, place her and me into a single bedroom. That way the only one in any danger is myself should things go wrong." Elsa said reasonably.

The woman nodded, looking into Anna's beast-like eyes.

Elsa found she was given a room all the way at the end of the hall. The room indeed only had one bed, and a window. That was all that was worth noting. Elsa walked over and fell onto the bed, happy to feel its softness beneath her after the two nights of camping.

"Anna, come feel this. It's magical." Elsa nearly moaned at the feeling.

Anna walked over, looking at Elsa and the bed.

The two together only reminded Anna of last night.

"Anna?" Elsa asked, concerned at the look that Anna was giving.

Anna turned away.

"What is it?" Elsa asked.

Anna simply breathed through her nose, a small scoff.

As Elsa laid there, she never did figure out the reason for Anna's refusal to join her on the bed. However, thanks to her worry from earlier, she at least felt the same problem. She remembered the way she pushed Anna away, wondering if the small rift she created would become a chasm. She didn't want that. No, she didn't want Anna to feel rejected, but what else could she do? Two girls being together was not very acceptable. Well, at least she had learned that throughout her life. Sure, there were few same sex couples that Elsa had seen or met, but they were normally shunned by most others. Elsa didn't see anything wrong with it, but because of society she had no choice but to assume it was wrong if a majority felt that way.

Maybe her thinking was wrong.

Elsa sighed as she stood up. She didn't know how she was going to make it up to Anna, but she'd try at least.

"Anna?" She called as she walked behind the girl.

Anna remained with her back turned, still thinking of last night.

"Anna… I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to push you away… it's just that you don't understand. You don't know how wrong your feelings towards me are." Elsa said, though she shook her head after realizing this was not what she really wanted to say. "I mean… You're special to me too Anna… just maybe not in that way. I don't know. I've never really… _liked _anyone before. I'm sure I'm just grateful for everything you've done for me is all." She told her.

Anna turned the slightest bit towards her, head turning to look at Elsa.

"We can't be in that sort of relationship, Anna… but I appreciate everything you've done. I'm going to help you, the same way you helped me. I'm going to help you fit in, to become a part of my life." She blushed at that. "Maybe I said that wrong… I don't know."

Anna turned at the sight of her blush, fully facing Elsa.

"Elsa?" She questioned, hand coming up to rub a reddened cheek.

"We can't be that way Anna… But I'd at least like to show you that I'm happy to stay with you."

Then Elsa leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Anna's cheek.

It wasn't her intention, more something she felt suddenly and had to do. Looking at Anna's face, she found that it may or may not have been wrong to do. Anna looked shocked, skin going red. Elsa wondered if kisses were not a thing in Anna's culture. She also wondered if she really should have done that. She didn't want Anna to get the wrong idea and chase after her in a way that she just couldn't reciprocate. It was hard to beat herself up about it when Anna suddenly smiled at her, looking straight into her eyes.

"Elsa…" Anna whispered.

Anna leaned forward, to do what? Well, Elsa liked to pretend she didn't know.

A loud yell from outside interrupted them.

"The Southern Isles is attacking!"

Elsa's eyes widened at the information. Anna looked more angry at being interrupted. Elsa's first instinct was to run and hide, that was until she remembered that she was supposed to be a soldier. She was supposed to fight.

"We're leaving, Anna!" Elsa called as she ran for the door.

Anna chased after the blonde that quickly rushed out of the Inn. Once outside, Elsa was immediately assaulted with the sight of a sword plunging into the gut of an Arendelle soldier. A southern Isle soldier, easy to spot thanks to his armor, wrenched his blade from the dying soldier and looked for more to kill. Elsa felt her heart rush at the sight of battle that began around her. Soldiers from the southern isle were filtering in from the back entrance of the village, all of them shouting with swords at the ready. Their force was met with sloppy resistance by the ill-prepared Arendelle troops. The clang of steel upon steel rang out as swords clashed. Sounds of dying were head as soldier after soldier on both sides began to fall. Elsa didn't understand. How could they be here already? Wasn't Arendelle going to establish a defense before any of this could happen?

"Hold the line! Let no Southerner through! As soldiers of Arendelle, you lay down your lives to protect the civilians!" A voice rang out.

Elsa looked over and saw Captain Shang upon his horse, racing towards the front line that had been established to try and keep the southern isle forces from breaking through the back gate and easily pouring into the city. It was futile though, as a few had already broken into the city and were aiming for the civilians. Elsa watched as a southern soldier stabbed his sword into an elderly man who had begged for mercy. She watched with a the threat of vile coming up, as yet anther soldier decapitated a young boy that tried to defend a group of women, a group that was his family.

Elsa wanted to rush inside, to hide away. She reminded herself that she was a soldier, that she had seen far worse. She would not die here, not when she had escaped Anna's village. These people were easy in comparison.

Elsa drew her sword.

With a yell, she ran for the man who planned to kill the rest of the dead boy's family. Steel clashed with steel as she tried to slash away at the man. He raised his sword and easily deflected her attack, Elsa lacking the strength to even make it hard for him. She quickly righted herself, going for another swing. The man let out a yell and swiped at her sword, hitting it so hard that she felt the vibration in her wrist and the pain of trying to hold it. The sword fell out of her hands, Elsa grabbing at her wrist to try and ease the pain. She could hear the cries of the women around her, the ones who were still weeping over the dead boy. The Southern Isles' soldier raised his sword, aiming to cut down Elsa in the same way he had done to the boy.

He suddenly found himself unable to breath as a clawed hand wrapped around his throat.

Anna drug his face to her own and roared, anger flooding her system at the sight of Elsa being hurt and bested in combat. The man tried to raise his sword, but Anna lifted him with one hand and slammed him to the ground. He didn't even have the chance to properly defend himself as Anna ripped into his throat with her claws, leaving him gurgling on his own blood as he died on the ground.

Elsa watched him die for a moment, her mind blank as she realized she'd nearly died so quickly. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of such thoughts. She turned to the family whose only boy had just died.

"Are you… are you alright?" She questioned, feeling sick at asking them something such as this after what just happened.

While most of them wept, two of the girls offered thanks. Thanks to both Anna and Elsa. Elsa was quick to stand after that, feeling sick for some reason. She didn't deserve their thanks. She didn't do anything. Had she been a real soldier, she would have saved the boy before he died.

"I-I must go. You should get out of here while you can." Elsa told them.

The two girls offering thanks repeated it again to Elsa, further increasing her sick stomach. The two girls began to gather their family, trying to get them to leave. They wept though, crying over the body of what was only a twelve year old boy. Elsa couldn't stand the sight of it, so she left. She took her sword that had fallen to the ground and left them. To do what? She didn't know. She couldn't fight, she wasn't a fighter.

Suddenly she was grabbed on her arm.

She turned with a yelp, finding Anna trying to drag her away, claws threatening to pierce skin.

"Elsa!" She called, trying to pull Elsa away, trying to get her to leave.

Elsa realized what was going on. "No, Anna!" Elsa suddenly found some courage. "We don't run! We can't run!" Elsa told her.

Anna didn't understand, but she followed Elsa as she ran off again, charging at another soldier with her sword drawn. Anna couldn't understand, none of this made sense to her as she sank her claws into the neck of another soldier that dared to try and kill Elsa. Why were these humans fighting? What was the point? This was no duel, this was war, a concept that Anna had no inkling of. As far as Anna's life went, it was peaceful in comparison. The most that came in the ways of fighting or even death, came with duels that were fought between two people. War was something she knew nothing about. The chaos, the fact that everyone seemed to be fighting everyone. None of it made sense.

Elsa screamed out.

Anna turned as a soldier had stabbed his sword into Elsa's shoulder.

A ferocious roar was all the man had to hear before Anna jumped on him, tearing off his helmet and slashing away at his face with her claws. She ripped away an eye, his lips and even his nose until he died beneath her. She turned back to Elsa, finding her clutching at her shoulder.

"I'm okay. I'm okay, Anna." Elsa told her.

Anna grabbed at Elsa and tugged her again, wanting to leave. She did not fear for herself, she knew she could take on all of these little humans if need be, but she wasn't so positive she could keep Elsa safe while doing so.

"No, Anna!" She commanded, knowing full well that Anna understood the word.

Anna noticed another soldier running at Elsa from behind. She ran around her and roared at him, successfully startling him as he stood frozen at the sight of her. Anna showed no mercy as she dove onto him, ripped the armor from his chest, and dug her claws into his chest. The man screamed out as Anna hooked her claws into his rib cage and pulled. She ripped away bone from flesh, leaving him dying and gasping for a final breath as he died with a disgusting hole in his chest. Anna threw the bone mixed with flesh away.

She turned back to Elsa, ready to drag the girl away no matter what.

"Larsa!" Someone shouted.

Elsa turned to find what she thought was her mind playing tricks on her. From the gate where she entered, marched more and more Arendelle soldiers on horseback. The knight leading them being none other than Kristoff. He yelled out her false name again, after commanding the soldiers to join the front line and protect the villagers. Kristoff rushed over on horseback, jumping off of his horse to find Elsa standing there, clutching at her shoulder, while Anna stood nearby, hands bloody.

"Larsa! Are you alright?!" Kristoff questioned, his conscious would be unable to forgive him if someone so young as 'Larsa' died on the field of battle.

"I… I'm fine. I can fight. I swear." Elsa told him, not seeming to be at all in her fully right mind. She looked shaken, scared, and hurt from her wound.

"Get out of here, Larsa. Leave with the villagers." Kristoff commanded.

"I can fight! I can-"  
"Anna can fight!" He yelled at her. This shut Elsa up. "You… You're just a boy Larsa. Leave the fighting to us. If you want to help, then help the villagers to escape." He told him, trying to not be as harsh towards the end.

"Arendelle scum!" Someone shouted.

The trio turned to find a man exiting a house, his sword painted with fresh blood. His armor and decorations seemed to suggest that he was of a higher rank than a mere soldier. He turned his blade to them and approached.

"Die!" Was all he said.

Kristoff drew his sword, rushing towards him before Elsa could. Elsa had to watch as the two exchanged blows, both clashing swords in a way that Elsa could never mimic. She stared at the exchange for a moment, before realizing that she had a fighter beside her that was doing nothing.

"Help him, Anna!" She yelled.

Anna just looked to her.

"Anna!" She yelled again.

Anna growled and grabbed Elsa by the arm and pulled.

"I said no, Anna!" She ripped her arm free, cutting herself on Anna's claws.

At the sight of Anna's face, you would think she killed Elsa.

Anna pulled her hand away as if she herself had done it, looking+ completely disgusted with herself.

"Help him!" Elsa yelled again, pointing to Kristoff.

Anna looked over, seeing the man fighting with the other. She looked to Elsa again who yelled once more at her and pointed. Anna didn't need to understand her to get the message. She didn't want to however. Kristoff could handle himself if need be, if he died, so what? Anna was more worried about Elsa and getting her out of here.

"Please." Elsa begged, a look on her face that touched at Anna's heart.

Anna growled and for a moment Elsa was sure that Anna was going to drag her away. However, Anna bolted towards her target, aiming for the soldier that Kristoff was fighting with. Unlike what Elsa thought she would do, Anna knocked Kristoff out of the way and onto the ground from behind, before engaging the man herself. The man swung at her, Anna dodging back and coming forward. Her agility was something unseen before as she swiped at the man, successfully slitting his throat. He chocked out words of damnation before falling to the ground, clutching at his bleeding neck.

Anna growled and then roared in triumph.

Kristoff stood, sword still unsheathed. "What is wrong with you?!" He called out to Anna as he approached.

Anna turned to him, blood and carnage still on her mind. The moment he stepped too close, she swung out at him. He backed away just in time, dodging the swipe. He readied his sword when he saw Anna take a crouch, preparing to assault him and claim his body to her count.

"No!" Elsa screamed as she ran between them. "Anna!" She scolded, slapping at Anna's shoulder.

Anna growled at her, but made no move to harm her. Elsa would have had more words for her, but suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the southern soldier was not dead yet.

"Damned… Arendelle… learn the power… Of true strength." He choked out.

Elsa turned to him as he pulled a flask of some kind from his hip and drank it. Suddenly he began to convulse violently, body flailing around and loud echoes of pain exiting from his lips.

Elsa watched as something she'd seen before happen again in front of her eyes.

The man's body began to morph, his bones breaking and snapping. His rib cage opened, revealing teeth inside of it, a new mouth. His legs elongated and his arms grew much too long. His head formed into what looked like a bat, mouth opening in a screech. Spikes grew from his elbow, or was it bone that was too far extended? It was hard to tell. His clothes ripped away as he transformed into a large beast of some kind. However this was nothing like with Anna's people. Where they turned into animals, he turned into a monster. His arms were so long that they sat upon the ground as he stood, like some sort of great ape with thin arms and legs. He had grown to nearly eleven feet thanks to his long legs. The mouth that had formed on his chest opened and closed, the old rib cage being seen beside it. His organs seemed to be missing from the chest area, as the mouth opened and closed, almost as though it were breathing and alive itself. The thing that was once a man screeched again.

Beside her, Elsa heard another roar.

She turned to find Anna transforming her painful transformation. She thought to stop her, but realized it was foolish. If there was anyone capable of beating this… thing, then it was Anna in her transformed state. Anna fell to the ground as the pain became too much, her body morphing in its grotesque way.

The creature screeched again.

It brought its arm up and went to swipe at Anna.

"No!" Elsa screamed, realizing that Anna was vulnerable at the moment.

The creature screamed out as Kristoff ran forward and stabbed his sword into its gut, just below the mouth. Kristoff twisted his blade and brought it back out, ready for another slash. The beast swung though, its mighty arm knocking Kristoff off his feet and into a building.

"Kristoff!" She yelled.

The creature turned to her and Anna again and screeched. Elsa readied her sword, not about to let it kill Anna. She felt strange suddenly, felt a tingle in her fingertips as she clutched at her sword.

A roar beside her.

Elsa didn't have time to turn as Anna charged at the beast, now fully transformed. Anna swiped at it with her claws, not going straight in for the kill, seeing as she'd never fought something like this. The monster screeched out as Anna's claws sunk into its flesh. Anna roared, trying to intimidate it. The creature slapped out with a huge arm and knocked Anna off her feet. Anna fell to the ground, a painful growl exiting her lips as she felt something break. The creature walked over to her, ready to slam its arms into her chest and finish her.

"No!"

Suddenly the creature was face to face with ice. A wall had been erected between itself and Anna. The bat-faced monster turned to Elsa now, screeching at her as it took its long limbs and rushed towards her. Elsa ran, going for a nearby house and rushing inside. The monster clashed with the building, slamming onto the roof with one hand, caving it in. Elsa barely avoided being hit by debris as she was revealed to the creature. She tried to rush further inside when she was suddenly grabbed. She screamed out as the creature tried to crush her in its grip. It pulled her out of the house and through the roof. It squeezed with overgrown muscles, screeching at Elsa all the while. Elsa let out a pitiful whimper of pain as she felt her ribs being crushed inwards.

"Larsa!" Someone shouted.

The beast suddenly screeched. Looking down, Elsa saw none other than Aladdin at the base of the creature, his sword stabbed into its leg. Elsa wanted to tell him to run, wanted to tell him to save himself. But the pain she experienced, the threat of death, all of it only let out one small word.

"Help." She cried.

Aladdin pulled out his sword and slashed again, the creature screeched before dropping Elsa and letting her fall back into the building. She hit the ground with a painful thud, ribs aching from before and the feeling of falling in armor. She looked towards the door she came through, able to see outside. She watched in horror as Aladdin tried to fight the beast alone. He swung out once, then twice, slashing away at the creatures thin legs. He dodged a fist that came down to try and squash him. He went to slash again-

Another fist came down, smashing into his body.

Elsa screamed out his name as the hand came back sticky with blood and organs. There was nothing but a pile of crushed armor and guts where a boy named Aladdin used to be. Elsa turned to see the hand reaching into the roof again to grab at her. She pulled out her sword and swung in desperation, successfully chopping off a finger. The beast squealed as it took its hand back. Distracted as it was, it did not notice Anna had gotten back on her feet and was creeping towards it. The creature wailed in despair as Anna bit down on the same leg that Aladdin had so courageously sliced at. Anna's powerful jaw bit down hard on the spindly leg, severing it from the body. The creature fell now, crippled. Before it could get up, Anna rushed over and bit down on its neck, quick to silence and incapacitate it. Elsa ran outside just in time to see Anna snap the creature's neck between her jaws.

The battle was over.

Elsa ran over to Anna, quick to hug her in her enlarged form. She didn't know why she did, she just felt the urge to latch onto the woman.

"You did it, Anna." She told her.

Anna began to transform in her arms, Elsa let her go, let her transform back into her normal form. Elsa was quick to catch Anna as the girl had trouble balancing, clutching at her ribs.

"I've got you." Elsa let her know as she held onto her.

Suddenly there was uproarious noise around them.

Elsa turned, ready to swing her sword, fingertips tingling.

It was the sound of cheering.

Around them, Arendelle soldiers stood, all of them cheering from what seems to have been a won battle. Some clapped, but most were yelling out their victory. One person even thought it a good idea to chant out _Beast Tamer_. Elsa looked away from them, back down to Anna who looked back at her. The girl was tired, hurt, and needed rest.

Elsa would give her that.

"I've got you Anna. I've got you." And she meant every word.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey! This is a really short chapter because I honestly couldn't think of more to add. Don't worry, chapter 11 is being worked on, i'm not completely out of ideas just yet!

Laryssa1234: I'm sorry Dx. It pained me to do it, but it had to happen. How many deaths will she carry, this is a good question. I'm so sorry about Aladdin, i can tell you thought he was going to be a major character. Forgive me!

Guest: Yeah, poor Anna is thrust into a new world that she doesn't understand. Thanks for your kind words by the way, it really warms my heart to get nice reviews =).

Nara375: hey! I believe some of your questions on Elsa's condition will be explained in this chapter. But just to explain a bit better, Anna fell into Elsa's arms because of the pain from transforming and her ribs being broken. Remember that her transformation is extremely painful. Also yeah, i'm learning that the blocks in writing can get pretty bad sometimes .. Anyway, thanks for the review, i'm always happy to see your reviews.

DreamWalker: I'm sorry! I murdered Aladdin. I'm an evil writer. And yeah, Anna's going to be a lot more confused in the future. I wonder what Elsa will do about it.

Guest (2): thx, i'm glad you're enjoying =D.

L: Is a kiss on the cheek not enough? lol I'm kidding, I wanna get to that too. thx for the review and I really wish I could upload daily, but i'm a slow writer =(.

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Elsa stood outside the medical tent that had been hastily thrown up. Around her was the sound of weeping families and soldiers shouting at one another to get things done. The battle was over, however Arendelle troops stayed while men and women were treated by doctors. The plan was to leave the moment every Arendelle soldier and citizen had been checked out. A soldier had already been sent ahead on horseback, told to ride as fast as he could to deliver the news of victory to the queen.

Was this really victory?

Elsa looked at a weeping family, the same family whose son she did not save. With the heat of the battle over and with time to cool off, Elsa realized that there was nothing she could have done for the son. Even if she had ran full sprint the moment she left the Inn, he would have been dead before she got there. She did what she could for the family. Even though Anna avenged them, their tears and mourning did not stop. It hurt to see, hurt to know what they had loss. Elsa too had younger siblings that she only wished to protect. To see one go, at any age, was heartbreaking, but for one so young as he was… Well Elsa didn't want to imagine, seeing as she had brothers that were around the dead boy's age.

She hissed as she went to move her shoulder the slightest, the pain from her earlier wound making itself known.

A growl sounded next to her.

"I'm alright, Anna." Elsa let her know, clutching at her bleeding shoulder.

Anna was beside her, standing next to her and looking as intimidating as ever. Elsa knew Anna was hurt, seeing as she prodded at her wounded ribs some time earlier. Anna tried to act like it didn't hurt, but one prod in the wrong place and the girl roared something fierce, nearly giving Elsa a heart attack. Anna could stand there, acting imposing as ever, but Elsa knew she could be hurt.

Someone exited the tent.

Elsa turned to see a wounded soldier leaving the tent, a very noticeable limp in his walk. The doctor poked his head out, Elsa noticing that he had a bald head and dark skin.

"Now you watch that leg, ya hear? Keep applying that medicine or else I will be forced to cut it off, and neither of us want that… well, maybe I would like to test out my latest saw." The doctor called to him.

The soldier sped up noticeably.

The doctor turned his head to find Elsa standing there.

"You my next patient? Well don't just sit there. Get yo butt in here." He told her, seeming enthusiastic at taking a look at whatever wound she had acquired.

Elsa worried for a second if she should find another tent.

Deciding against it, she walked inside, beckoning Anna to follow.

"Now, tell ol Dr. Sweet where it hurts. I promise not to-" He stopped mid sentence as the redhead walked in. "Whoa now, girl, I don't think I have any medicine that'll fix that." He told her.

Elsa looked to Anna and then the doctor. "She always looks that way." Elsa said, not really knowing what else to tell him.

The doctor, wielding a saw for some reason, tapped it against his shoulder as he thought. Suddenly his face brightened. "Oh! So you're the famous 'Beast-Tamer' I take it. Well, gotta tell ya, I was expecting a monster, not a girl with a few extra features." He told her, smiling all the while.

Elsa just stared for a moment, not expecting that. Was he not scared of Anna? Everyone else seemed to be. Not that Elsa blamed them, it seemed normal to be cautious of Anna.

"You gonna stand there all day or are you going to tell me where you're injured?" The doctor asked.

"Oh." Elsa pointed to her shoulder where a cut was made in her armor. "I got stabbed." She said.

The doctor chuckled. "Gotta tell ya, you're the first person to ever come and admit to that with a straight face. Most people are always going on and on about how it hurts and for me to make the pain stop. You're real refreshing." He told her before guiding her to sit on the small cot that he had set up. "Now since I've got the both of ya, you take off your armor and you," he turned to Anna. "Tell me what's hurting ya."

Elsa began taking off her armor. "She doesn't talk… or understand you for that matter." Elsa said.

"Is it the way I talk? You know, I've been told I talk too fast. Far as I'm concerned, people talk too slow. Nobody has all day to hear about your problems, so why not speed it up. Some of us are busy, ya know?" He said.

Elsa blinked at him, pausing for a moment. "I meant she doesn't speak English."

The doctor nodded. "See now that makes sense. Well, you tell me what's wrong with her then."

"Her ribs… I think they are bruised."

The doctor turned to Anna. "Well, I can't do much about bruising. Toss you a bit of cream, but that's about it." He reached over to examine Anna and she growled at him. "Whoa! Now I see why they call you 'The Beast'. Now you're gonna let ol Dr. Sweet take a look at them ribs. If one of em's busted, you're gonna wanna know." He said.

Elsa watched him reach into a small satchel before removing what looked like an instrument of torture.

"Shiny isn't it?" He asked Anna. Anna narrowed her eyes in response. "Look, see, shiny, huh?" He wiggled the instrument as far away from himself as he could.

Elsa watched as Anna stared at the object, though not for the reason that the doctor and she seemed to think. Anna was looking to see what he'd do with it, wondering if he was out to harm her with it.

"Which side did you say she was hurt?" He asked.

"I didn't… but it was on her left side." Elsa answered.

While she wasn't looking, Dr. Sweet was quick to reach out with his other hand and touch at Anna's ribs. Anna roared after he touched a particular spot and snapped at him, quite literally. He managed to get his hand away before Anna could snap his hand off with her teeth.

"Stop, Anna!" Elsa commanded, already assuming Anna might lunge for him.

She was wrong, but Anna still obeyed.

"Whoa! You know, she reminds me of my ex-wife. She was all teeth and no people skills. She was damn pretty though… you sure you two aren't related?" He asked Anna, teeth showing with his smile.

Anna growled at him.

"Probably a second cousin removed, huh?" He shrugged. "Anyway, her ribs are definitely broken, but they'll heal on their own. It would go faster and more comfortably if I wrapped them, but I doubt ol sharp tooth is gonna let me." He said to Elsa, looking quite amused by the situation.

"She won't." Elsa said.

"Figures." He told her. "Now Let's have a look see." He said as Elsa finished taking off her armor. "So, where you from?"

"Arendelle." Elsa said.

"Really, I have family up that way. Beautiful country up there." He said as he casually tore a hole in Elsa's shirt to see the wound better. Elsa didn't know whether to tell him that they were currently still in the country of Arendelle or just be glad he didn't rip far enough to notice that she had breasts. "do you do any fishing?" He asked for some reason.

"Not really… I-."

"Me? I hate fishing. I hate fish. Hate the taste. Hate the smell, and hate all them little bones." He suddenly turned away and reached into his bag where he pulled out a needle. "Now, lets get down to business." He told her.

Elsa shrunk away at the sight.

Despite how strange the doctor seemed, his work was flawless. He took the needle and stitched up Elsa's wound, telling her that she was lucky. He told her that had she not had her armor, that the sword could have struck all the way through and potentially taken off her arm. The thought made her sick as she nearly vomited at the news. Once the doctor was done, he cleaned her up and sent her along the way. Turns out, despite Elsa being grabbed by that monstrosity from before, her ribs were not broken, only bruised. It would hurt to breath for awhile, but nothing serious, he assured her.

Elsa left the tent with Anna, letting the next soldier go in. She wondered how she managed to survive all of that with only a stitched up shoulder and bruised ribs to show for it. The answer came in the form of a body being scrapped up off of the ground to be placed on a mobile cot to be buried later by the soldiers.

Aladdin.

Aladdin had saved her. Had he not come, she would have been dead and crushed in his place. Thanks to him, all she had was a bruise around her ribs. He had traded his life to save hers. She wilted at that, realizing that she had been worthless in that fight. If only she had known how to fight, then perhaps that would have never happened in the first place. If she had not been caught, then Aladdin would still be alive, asking her how to train his pet monkey. And it wasn't only him. Anna as well had saved her from being killed. She would have been dead long before she even acquired the wound to her shoulder if not for Anna saving her. Why did she have to be so weak? Why couldn't she be strong? Wasn't there something, anything that could help her?

She thought about the wall of ice that had come up to save Anna.

The ice wall was gone, having melted within seconds after Elsa went to catch Anna after her transformation. It was something Elsa _did. _It wasn't like before with the Half-Beast girl. Before she had simply swung out in fear and anger, fearful for her life and angry that the girl had hurt Anna so badly. The spike that was created was caused by her, but not intentionally. This time however, she had imagined it, had thought of protecting Anna, wishing there was something to block the monster from getting to her. That was when the wall appeared, when the tingling in her fingers rushed out and became something physical.

If only she could control it.

"Elsa?" A question from her side.

Elsa turned to see Anna looking at her, wondering what was troubling her.

Elsa stared at her for a moment, wishing she had the strength that Anna did. Despite her broken ribs, Anna still walked tall in the face of the pain. Even before, that brief moment where Anna collapsed in Elsa's arms, that was only due to her transformation along with the broken ribs. The girl was quick to stand on her own once the pain of her transformation was over. She wanted to be strong like Anna, to not be afraid like Anna, to never hesitate like Anna.

Instead she was just a coward.

"Beast-Tamer." Someone called.

Elsa turned to find Captain Shang walking up, his helmet being held at his side, the other hand resting on his sword.

"Yes, Captain?" Elsa quickly tried to stand straight, the suddenly movement of her shoulder causing pain.

Shang held up a hand. "No need for that soldier, not right now. I only came to congratulate you on your success in slaying the monstrosity that the southern isles created. Sir Kristoff has already informed me of what happened." Shang gave her a smile, something Elsa thought must have been rare.

"Oh… um… thank you sir." Elsa said, feeling somewhat sick at the way he praised her. She had done nothing.

"What you've done is something no normal soldier could do on their own. Stand proud, soldier." He told her. Elsa went to correct him, but he had more to say. "I thought you may like to know that Sir Kristoff is doing fine. He's a bit battered and bruised, but nothing that will keep a knight down."

Elsa's brow furrowed at the news. There was something she was wondering, something she wanted to ask.

"Sir? What was Sir Kristoff doing here anyway?" Elsa asked.

Now it was Shang's turn to be confused. "What do you mean? He was here like it was planned."

"Planned?" She questioned.

"Were you never told?" He looked shocked, but quickly got over it and went back to his normal, stern expression. "My unit was to move ahead into the village. Sir Kristoff's unit, which had arrived hours before us, were to hide in the woods around the village until the southern isles showed themselves." He explained.

Elsa look stunned to say the least.

"He was here all along? The entire time he was nearby?" Shang nodded at her questions. "Then… then what were we? Why have him hide, why-" She stopped as she realized what just happened. "We were… I was bait?" She questioned.

"Bait is one way to call it. Our unit was to pretend as though we didn't know the southern isle's may attack, all the while we were ready to create a front line defense the moment they did. Kristoff's unit would join as quickly as possible to help in putting them down." Shang explained once more.

Elsa just looked down as she contemplated this information. She was bait? The queen had knowingly sent her here with no knowledge of this prior? Elsa had assumed they would establish a defense immediately upon arriving and drive off the southern troops. Instead she was bait? Instead lives were lost because the soldiers were too busy selling goods and pretending they didn't know what was coming? People died, both soldiers and civilians. A little boy was dead, his family left to weep, because Kristoff's unit was scheduled to attack after and not to join in establishing an initial defense.

Aladdin was dead because the queen used their unit as bait.

"Anna." Elsa called.

A rough noise beside her.

"We're leaving." She told her as she began to march away, Anna quick to follow.

Elsa was going to help the others in packing up, selling off goods, whatever was needed to be done to leave this place. She wanted to get back to the castle, back to the queen. She had questions, questions that deserved answers. Her first mission for the queen had been one that could have easily gotten her killed, one where she was not informed that she would be bait. She deserved to know why.

Anna watched on, never had she seen Elsa so angry. She wondered just who exactly she was going to have to kill next for the blonde.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey! I'm back again. I felt bad about giving such a short chapter, so I kind of decided to post this one a bit early. I wrote this chapter before chapter 10. Chapter 10 was an insert because I felt there should have been some aftermath to the battle. So yeah, i've gone through the chapter and edited so that it doesn't look like this was Chapter 10 and that it is indeed chapter 11.

Lance58: Anna is definitely fun to write because of her relationship and view of Elsa. Also who knows, maybe Elsa may ditch the army and live in the woods again with Anna. Who knows what craziness I might do =).

Laryssa1234: I agree, hurry it up Elsa! This writer needs to pick up the pace I swear- Oh wait...

Nara375: Some of these questions may be answered in the future! I wish I could spoil, but I would never! As always, loving the reviews.

I thought of something this morning while writing that I thought might be kind of fun to do with my viewers. I figure you can pm or leave a review of a character you want to see (Whether it be disney or your own creation) and i'll see about writing it in. Fair warning though, I could very easily kill off that character like poor Aladdin. You never know. It just seemed like a fun idea, nothing you have to do. But yeah, feel free to suggest if you like, I like the idea of interacting with my viewers in such a way.

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Elsa stood at attention, her back straight and her jaw clenched as she listened to the conversation going on around her. She was upset, upset being a mild way of putting her mood. She was furious after what she'd learned. At the end of the mission back in the village, both Anna and Elsa were taken back to the kingdom. During the journey back, Elsa had thought that perhaps she had mistaken Captain Shang's words. Perhaps she had somehow warped them. A conversation with Kristoff who rode with them on the way back settled it however.

Turns out, the queen really had forgotten to tell Elsa a very important piece of information. There was to be a second force to join Elsa's after the southern isle revealed themselves. Elsa's team was indeed to help guard the caravans and sell off the goods, all the while being ready to fight the southern isle in case they attacked. What Elsa didn't know was that they were essentially bait. That was what the second force was for. They had already gone ahead and hidden themselves in the nearby woods, only a few hours ahead of Elsa's team.

Elsa wanted to know why something as important as telling her that she was essentially bait, was not shared with her.

Right now she was in a meeting, a meeting between those involved in the mission and the queen. Flynn was there as well, Elsa noticed. She wondered if he was the queen's personal guard or something, seeing as he was always with her.

"With only a few deaths and casualties, the mission went well I suppose." Flynn spoke up in his easy manner, wanting to get that bit of information out of the way.

"Statistically it did in fact go well." Captain Shang said, not completely agreeing with Flynn's logic. "There could have been many more deaths had Kristoff's unit not come in so quickly." The captain gave a nod of respect towards Kristoff who was currently using two crutches to help get himself around.

"We could have moved faster." Was all Kristoff had to say.

"Don't go beating yourself up. You did well. If we're being realistic, its always expected to lose a few men out on the battlefield, even with small fights like this." Flynn chimed in.

"I'm more concerned with the information about a 'monster' as Kristoff so eloquently put it." Queen Rapunzel spoke up now, seated at her throne while Elsa, Kristoff, and Captain Shang stood before her throne. Flynn seemed to have the right to stand beside the queen. He really must have been her bodyguard.

"I'm afraid I did not see much of it. By the time we finished off the southern isle's forces, we found it already being killed by the one that the Beast-Tamer commands." Captain Shang gave his input.

The queen looked to Elsa, smile on her face.

"As the one commanding her, I'm sure you saw a lot. What exactly happened? Where did this monster come from?" The queen asked.

Elsa clinched her fists at her side.

"Why was I never told that my unit was bait?" Elsa asked, doing her best not to show her outrage at the mere idea of being used that way.

The queen, and certainly everyone else, looked surprised that she did not answer the question. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Flynn. The young bodyguard just looked to the queen, waiting for her answer.

There was a moment of silence.

"Must have slipped my mind." She finally said.

"Slipped your mind?!" The rage suddenly bubbled over. "I was bait! You knew the southern isle forces were lying in wait, waiting for our smaller unit to show up so they could ambush us! You didn't think this important to tell me?!" Elsa yelled, hands clenched at her side as she did her best to remain with her posture straight.

"Have you lost your mind, Tamer?!" Captain Shang yelled, slapping Elsa on the back of the head with a gauntlet clad hand. "You are speaking to the queen!"

Elsa grew quiet after that, understanding that she could easily be hung at the gallows for such an offense. Still, she was so angry that she couldn't even think about the consequences right now.

There was silence for a moment before Kristoff cleared his throat.

"I was there, your majesty. I saw the beast as it came into existence." Kristoff told her.

Her eyes turned to Kristoff now. "Came into existence? What do you mean?" She seemed rather intrigued by this information.

"It was once a man. I watched as the man fell, fatally wounded by Anna- er Larsa's beast."

"Her name is Anna." Elsa growled out, receiving another slap from Shang.

"Calm yourself, Beast-Tamer." Shang whispered harshly.

"Yes, Kristoff, her name is indeed Anna. Now, what were you saying?" The queen asked.

"Well, the man received a fatal wound. He was dying on the floor. While I was… _busy_, he took a flask from his pocket and drank from it. Afterwards he transformed into the beast that now lay dead." Kristoff spoke up.

The queen digested this information for some time.

"Was he some sort of… _person_ like Anna?" The queen asked, completely stumped by this new information. She had already heard about how Anna could transform from others, long before Elsa arrived back.

"No." Elsa spoke up confidently. Everyone turned to her, but she did not cower away. "I've seen Anna's people and I've watched them transform. His transformation, while similar, was nothing like there's. They turn into beasts, large animals that you may see out in the world, only somewhat altered at times. This man turned into something completely different. He looked like no animal, just a grotesque monster." Elsa told them all, not wanting anyone to compare that man to Anna. "If you want to compare, then it was more like he tried to copy what Anna's people did, however he failed and turned into a beast that didn't seem to have any humanity left. The monster he became was not smart, only targeting one person at a time, whomever agitated him." Elsa finished, staring down the queen, hoping to convey how angry she still was.

Kristoff began to nod his head.

"I can agree with this." He said. "The monster had plenty of opportunity to finish me off, yet it was quick to turn on someone else. A smart person would have finished his opponent before attacking someone else." Kristoff wasn't completely in agreement with what he'd said, but he felt Elsa's argument deserved some back up.

"Perhaps there is some truth to this. The battle was indeed over very fast. I believe a smart opponent would not have went down so easily. It would seem the man lost some intelligence along with his transformation." Captain Shang said, remembering that he did not fight the southern forces for very long once Kristoff's unit made an appearance. The battle was over quickly, which meant that the battle with the monster would have ended within the same time.

"Anna keeps her intelligence… he was nothing like her." Elsa said one last time, wanting to drive the point home.

The queen pondered this for a moment before, "You said he drank from something? Do you have it with you?"

Kristoff rummaged around in his pockets briefly before pulling out the flask that the man drank from. "This is it, your majesty."

Flynn was quick to descend the throne and walk up to Kristoff. He took the flask from him and walked over to the queen. He took a sniff from the flask and whipped his head away as if being slapped. Everyone in the room was looking to him as he coughed at the stench.

"Oh that's still ripe." Flynn said after a moment, continuing to bring the flask up to the queen. "Take a whiff princess." He told her, smile in place.

"Sir Flynn?!" Captain Shang yelled at him.

Flynn waved him away. "Our princess is adventurous, let her smell what a battlefield really smells like."

Flynn gave the flask to the Queen who scrunched her nose up at the smell after getting a whiff. She quickly passed it back to him.

"What is that?!" She gagged in front of everyone.

"Smells like blood, little princess." Flynn told her.

"He drank blood?" She questioned.

Flynn shrugged. "Smells like he did anyway."

The news seemed to silence the room.

_Blood_? Elsa wondered. What sort of blood would do that to a man. Elsa wondered If it was Half-Beast blood, maybe somehow their blood carried properties that allowed the transformation. Maybe when applied to a normal person, this was the result. Elsa quickly threw away the thought. Half-Beast, as far as Elsa knew, only seemed to be part of the black forest that was near Arendelle, how would the southern Isle get their hands on it? Better yet she knew Anna's people worked in groups. There was no way a team had managed to kill one and scare away the others to obtain the blood. No, there was something else going on, something that likely didn't even involve Anna's people.

"So, it would seem the rumors are true about the southern isle." Queen Rapunzel sighed, not taking this news well.

"The rumors that they can conjure demons? Perhaps not exactly what we thought, but this would definitely scare someone into thinking so." Flynn said beside her.

Elsa grit her teeth at yet more information that would she would have liked to have known. Rumors about demons in the south were not exactly spread far and wide. This must have been something that was kept between the higher ups in the castle. Not even the soldiers talked about it to Elsa when she was once a soldier.

"We should talk more about this when everyone has had a proper rest. I realize that I summoned you nearly the moment you got here." The queen said, taking some sympathy with those in the room. "Please, go back to your rooms and rest up." Rapunzel dismissed them.

Elsa had more questions, more demands to know, however Captain Shang was quick to wrap and arm around her shoulder and drag her off, after bowing to the queen of course.

Once outside, Elsa was confronted by both Shang and Kristoff.

"Did you just yell at the queen?" Kristoff asked in sheer disbelief.

"A most foolish action." Shang commented.

Elsa suddenly felt attacked and cornered, she took a lesson from Anna and lashed out. "She knowingly sent me on a mission to die!" Elsa hissed, aware that the throne room was only down the hall.

"She did not." Shang defended.

"What do you think bait is?!" Elsa threw her arm out in exasperation, though she regretted it as the wound from her battle pinched at her shoulder.

"It was a strategy. A fine one at that." Shang said.

"What?!"

"We knew the southern isles may lie in wait, so we sent a force ahead to meet them. What they didn't know was that we had more waiting for us once the battle engaged. Had we all marched together, then they may have never attacked in the first place. We traded a few lives for many of the southern soldiers and taught them a lesson that we will defend our own." Shang told her.

Elsa blubbered for a moment, so angry that she couldn't get her words out. Sure, it made sense to trade a few lives for many in war, but that sounded so heartless, so very wrong. As a queen she should try to see to all of her subjects surviving, not moving them around like they were a game of chess, throwing in the pawns to die, while the queen sits back and watches.

"Like it or not, Larsa. That's war." Kristoff told her now.

Elsa just shook her head. "To speak about the dead so easily, to say that they were nothing but sacrifices for a few extra soldiers dead on the side of the enemy. You're all so… so… I don't even know." Elsa tried, unable to find the right words.

Shang nodded. "I understand how it looks now, but with time you will understand that in war, sacrifices must be made." He told her.

"Sacrifices. You're talking about people. All you people ever do is judge Anna and call her a monster, when you should be looking into a mirror!" And that was all she had to say.

Elsa stormed off, her experience in war still new, still naive, there was no way she would ever agree with them.

Kristoff watched her go and sighed.

"I still needed to talk to her about… that girl." Kristoff said, not wanting to call her a beast, but certainly not wanting to use her name.

"A fine addition to our army if the south will be playing with demons." Shang muttered to himself.

"Yeah… till she turns on you." Kristoff said angrily before leaving, crutches clacking against the floor as he left.

Elsa was marching back to her room, angry at the queen, Shang, and Kristoff, the last two because they defended her actions. Elsa could never understand using people the way the queen had just done. To throw them to the wolves and watch them be devoured just so that a few more knights could sneak up and slay the wolves. Did it not make more sense to figure out a way to kill the wolves with no casualties?

Elsa seemed to forget that she was not dealing with wolves, but other cunning humans like herself.

Elsa stopped as she reached the hallway that contained her room. Down the hall, she could see that the door was opened. She was confused at first, but then she began to panic. Elsa had left Anna in the room, left her sleeping on the bed. When the two arrived back in the castle during the day, Anna had immediately fell onto the bed to sleep. Elsa had found it cute at the time and decided not to bother her. It wasn't long after that Elsa was called to the meeting. She had left Anna there, closing the door behind her. She figured she would be back before the girl awoke.

The door was open… meaning Anna could have left.

She ran down the hallway, straight for her room. She burst in, one name on her lips as she looked around.

"Anna!"

"Oh!… Hello." A meek voice.

While the red hair was similar, that was not Anna who spoke.

"Who are you?" Elsa asked, eyebrows furrowed at the sight of someone in her room, on her bed no less.

"Excuse me, sir. I am Ariel, a maid. I only came to-"

Elsa watched with a near heart attack as Anna, who she had only now noticed was on the bed, reached for the girl while her back was turned.

"Don't!" Elsa yelled.

A burst of giggles as Anna began to tickle away at the girl, remembering her earlier lesson from Elsa.

"N-no! S-stop, Anna! I don't have anymore! I swear!" The girl laughed, trying to escape from Anna's tickle attack.

To say Elsa was confused would be an understatement.

"What is… going on here?" Elsa asked as she entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"She doesn't believe me!" The girl got out, still laughing because of Anna.

Elsa was still somewhat aggravated from her earlier meeting, she wasn't in the mood for this.

"Enough, Anna!" She called out. Anna continued tickling the maid, but she did look to Elsa. "Stop!" She commanded.

Anna, understanding what this word meant, let Ariel go with a pout. Anna made a noise in the back of her throat as she very rudely began to sniff away at Ariel.

"R-really, I don't have anymore." Ariel told her, standing up and away from Anna.

"You gave her something?" Elsa asked, looking upset. She had no idea what was going on, and she had already gotten angry about the very same thing earlier. Elsa found out she didn't like being left in the dark.

Ariel, seeming to sense Elsa's anger, stood and gave a bow to her. "I'm sorry Beast-Tamer. I… I may have given her a bit of chocolate." She admitted shamefully, thinking she was in trouble.

Elsa blinked. "Chocolate?"

"Only a small amount… at first." She added in guiltily.

Elsa looked to Anna, seeing that the girl did in fact have a chocolate stain beside her lips. Elsa was surprised, this was the first time she'd seen Anna act friendly towards anyone. It was then that she noticed how startled and frightened Ariel looked, the poor maid thinking she had upset someone. Elsa realized that her position as the queen's select few could possibly intimidate others of a lower status.

Elsa shook her head, feeling a bit like a jackass with the way she entered in a huff.

"Forgive me, there is no wrong doing here… I just didn't know she liked chocolate of all things." Elsa said, rubbing at her injured shoulder. How could she know Anna would like chocolate? The girl seemed to only favor meat, pushing aside anything that wasn't previously alive.

Ariel, sensing the shift in mood, beamed a smile at Elsa. "Oh yes, she enjoys it very much. I didn't know a person like her could purr." Ariel seemed excited.

"Purr?" Elsa asked.

"Well… it was more a soothing growl, but still." Ariel said after a moment.

"I see… so what were you doing for… all of _this_ to happen?" She gestured around, basically asking how she had run into Anna alone without being killed or injured.

Ariel gave another bow. "I was simply doing my rounds on cleaning. I am in charge of this floor. I was unaware that you had come back, so I simply walked in… sorry." She apologized again, looking sheepish at her admittance.

"It's alright, please continue." Elsa really didn't care, she just wanted to know how the woman did what she did.

"Well… imagine my surprise when I walked in and found the rumored Half-Beast sleeping on the bed alone. I thought to leave, but managed to bump into the wall on the way out. She woke up then and spotted me." Ariel seemed to have a chill run through her at that moment. "I'll be honest and say I assumed I was dead. She growled at me and suddenly began sniffing at the air. I assumed she was taking in my scent to hunt me down if I ran." Ariel then smiled a bit. "Turns out she smelled the chocolate I've been carrying on me. I was truly frightened when she approached me, but then the greedy little thing snatched the chocolate off of me and absconded with it back to the bed, where she nibbled away at it before shoving the entire thing into her mouth. It was… cute." Ariel laughed a bit, not knowing if she should call Anna cute in front of her master.

Elsa nodded along, though she was surprised by this information. The girl had been saved because Anna smelled chocolate on her? This was good information to know. Perhaps she should inform people to carry chocolate on them if they should ever visit Elsa.

"Truthfully… sir." Ariel began again, once again looking sheepish. "Once I saw her like that, I decided to pull out more of the chocolate I had hidden away. She was immediately upon me, snatching them away, only this time she ate them in front of me instead of running away. She made this… adorable growling noise before she introduced herself." Ariel said.

Now that was shocking.

"She… told you her name?" Elsa asked.

"Yes. She said her name was 'Ahhma' or something. I think she was trying to say 'Anna'."

"it's Anna." Elsa solidified the girl's thoughts. Elsa didn't know why she was reinforcing the way she pronounced Anna's name.

"It's a nice name." She looked to the girl in question who was lazily laying on the bed, watching the conversation.

"Yes." Elsa began after clearing her throat. "I'm glad you're alright and I'm glad you had the chocolate on you. However I wish to speak with Anna alone now." She told Ariel, trying to dismiss her nicely.

"Oh! Of course, sir." She turned back to Anna. "Goodbye, Anna." She waved as she left.

Anna mimicked the wave, though she didn't understand what it meant. She did at least understand that the girl was leaving though.

Ariel left, her crimson colored hair being the last thing Elsa saw as she opened and closed the door. Elsa stared at the door for awhile before turning to find Anna lounging on the bed. Elsa walked over and took a seat on the bed, staring at the chocolate stain on Anna's lips. She sighed as a lazy smile found its way onto her face. She licked at her thumb before rubbing at Anna's lips to rid her of the stain.

"Messy." Was what Elsa said as she wiped her thumb onto her trousers. "I can't believe you liked someone other than me." Elsa said, a strange feeling settling in her chest at the thought. "Maybe I should bring chocolates, hmm?" She asked, looking to Anna.

Anna just blinked at her.

The sight of seeing Anna being friendly with someone other than herself was giving her an idea. She would definitely hesitate at doing something like this if she hadn't seen Anna being kind to Ariel. However the sight of her tickling away at Ariel wouldn't stop entering her mind. Anna could be kind to others, she just had to like them for some reason, even if it was something as simple as giving her a treat.

She almost laughed at the fact that giving Anna a treat was enough to make her like them. Perhaps she'd wag her tail if she had one.

"I want to take you someplace special, okay Anna?" She asked.

Anna blinked again. "Elsa." Was all she had to say.

"I'll take that as a yes." Elsa stood up. "Come, Anna. We're leaving." She announced.

Anna, having learned this phrase, was quick to stand, though she winced with how quickly she stood up. Elsa remembered her injuries at the sight.

"We'll take it slow, come on." Elsa told her kindly, putting out her hand for Anna to take.

You'd think Anna just received a present with the face she made at getting to hold Elsa's hand again.

Before they did leave, Elsa did force Anna to wear more clothing. She imagined that Anna would heal better if she wasn't so cold once she was outside. She had given Anna a huge cloak that she'd found in the wardrobe. It looked toasty and comfortable, though the face Anna made would suggest otherwise. Elsa wasn't having it, she gave a wag of her finger and a small lecture about catching a cold to Anna. For herself she found a nice jacket to wear that had the symbol of Arendelle on the back of it.

As they were leaving Elsa seemed to forget something important that Anna was quick to remind her of.

"Elsa." Anna called.

Elsa turned to find the girl with her hand out, waiting for Elsa to take it. Elsa rolled her eyes, pretending to find it to be such a hassle as she grabbed onto Anna's hand, making Anna light up visibly.

Elsa exited the castle with directions from the servants once again. It was easier this time, seeing as she'd left from this part of the castle the first time when she went to save Anna from the gallows. Elsa left down the main road and towards the plaza. All the while she held Anna's hand. Thankfully it wasn't snowing, though there was a bit of snow on the ground. Elsa realized halfway through their journey that Anna was still barefoot after all this time. The girl didn't seem bothered with stepping in the snow, but Elsa was having none of it.

"As soon as we get to where we're going, we're going to find you some shoes." Elsa told her.

Anna just squeezed at her hand, not knowing what Elsa was going on about.

Elsa did have to ask for more directions as she got to the plaza, seeing as she'd never been to this part of the city. Thankfully, she found a kind woman who gladly pointed her in the right direction. Thankfully as well, Anna kept her hood up, hiding her features from the girl and not frightening her away. Truthfully, Anna did feel the cold, though not as much as others. She was naturally more hot blooded than a human, but even she could appreciate the comfort of warmth that the cloak gave her. It was the only reason she kept the hood up and had not torn it off. Besides, it wasn't blocking her view of Elsa, so it was no bother.

After some time of walking, nearly an hour and a half of it, Elsa arrived at her destination as she recognized buildings and homes. She walked up to a modest home with a large and desolate harvesting field behind it. Nothing was going to grow in the winter, so it sat unused. Elsa felt a lump in her throat as she approached the home, her reason for joining the army. A tear almost left her eye at the thought of the warm atmosphere that she knew was behind the door. And she knew it was there, she could hear the sounds of laughter from inside, laughter that she'd grown up with. She really hadn't been gone very long, but with everything she'd been through, it felt like an eternity.

She stopped to look at Anna.

"Anna." She got her attention. "These are important people to me… okay? They're the most important people in my life. I'd love it if you got along… alright?" She asked, already knowing that Anna didn't understand her. She needed to hear it though. "Say 'yes'." She commanded softly.

"Yes." Anna repeated.

That was good enough for Elsa.

She turned and let her hand knock against the door.

"Coming! One moment!" A female voice called.

Elsa nearly jumped into the arms of the woman that answered the door, but she held herself back. The two stared at each other, one in shock, the other just trying to contain her emotions.

"Elsa?" Her mother asked, looking the same she did as the day that Elsa left.

"Mama." Elsa hadn't called her that for a long time.

Elsa let go of Anna as she rushed into a hug, grabbing at her mother for all she was worth.

"Oh, Elsa. Its good to see you!" Her mother called out happily, hugging her daughter back. "Agnarr! Agnarr guess who is here!" She called out while still holding her daughter.

"It better not be that damned neighbor of ours! A curse upon his family!" Someone called from inside, though anyone could tell he was only kidding.

Elsa heard footsteps approaching and soon she was face to face with her father.

"Elsa?" He questioned, nearly choking on a lump in his throat.

"Dad." Elsa called.

"Well? Move out of the way woman, let me see my daughter!" He commanded, trying to move his wife.

"Wait your turn, you old fool." She told him.

"Mama!" Elsa laughed, trying to untangle herself so she could hug her father.

Eventually her mom did let go, but not before giving Elsa another squeeze. Her father got his turn, so happy he was that he lifted his daughter in the air as though she were a child.

"There's my daughter! My pride and joy! The only one in this family that's smart enough to work in the castle." He called out joyfully.

Elsa could see both Olaf and Marshall walking up as well behind her father.

"Hi, Elsa!" Olaf called out happily.

"Hey." Marshall tried not to show his excitement, thinking it was uncool and childlike to be so happy to see his sister, but Elsa could see it.

"Wait. Put me down dad. There's someone I want you guys to meet." Elsa told them.

Her father obliged and Elsa backed up until she could hold Anna's hand again.

"This is a good friend of mine. She's been there for me ever since I left." Elsa told them.

Her father put a hand to his chest and pretended to almost faint.

"For a moment I thought you were about to introduce a boy. Don't toy with your father's heart." He told her in good nature.

"Enough with the introductions, we can get her name inside. Its cold out dear." Her mother said, gesturing for everyone to get inside.

Elsa was happy to follow that command.

Elsa sat Anna in a seat at the table the moment she got inside. Everyone took a seat at the table then, all smiles. Her father even went and got his favorite chair to sit it at the table. Elsa sat beside Anna, still holding her hand. Elsa was too busy just being plain happy to notice how quiet Anna was being. She certainly didn't notice the way Anna was smelling the area as subtly as she could.

"I can't remember the last time I was this happy." Agnarr said, his smile so wide that you would think nothing could break it.

"Agreed." Her mother said. "It's good to have the family back together." She smiled, doing her best not to tear up at the sight of her daughter sitting at the table again.

"What took you so long to come back?" Marshall asked, looking as though he didn't care, but truthfully he had missed his older sibling.

"She just got work in the castle, it's no surprise that it took awhile to get herself a break." Her father told him.

"It's been forever though." Marshall said stubbornly.

"It always feels that way, dear." Her mother chimed in.

"Have you guys been receiving the money? I made sure to tell them where to send it." Elsa asked, knowing that as a member of Arendelle's army, she had the choice to have her money sent elsewhere instead of having to carry it on her person.

"Yes we have dear, it's been so helpful to us." Her mother said.

"She's making me look bad is what she's doing. My daughter makes more money than I do!" Her father announced, acting as though he was outraged, but it was hard when there was so much pride bubbling up inside of him.

"The recent payment was much more than before when you first started. Have you already received a promotion?" Her mother asked, thinking of the recent bag of coin that was delivered to her door.

Elsa remembered the mission she did for the queen.

"Um… sort of?" Elsa admitted a bit sheepish.

Agnarr's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Already? You just started and you're already moving up! That's my daughter! She'll be head maid in no time!" Agnarr truly didn't know what to do with all of this pride.

"I didn't know maids got paid so much." Marshall said, sounding rude, but truthfully curious.

"They do when they do their jobs right!" Agnarr said.

Elsa was blushing at this point, unable to handle how much pride her father had in her. She remembered him being absurdly happy when he found out that she would be working as a maid in the castle, but she never imagined that it meant this much to him.

"I just do what others do." Elsa said.

"Nonsense! My girl is the best and that's all there is to it!" Agnarr smacked the table to push his point across.

"Don't get your father going by disagreeing with him." Her mother rolled her eyes.

"Wow I wish I had claws like this!" Olaf suddenly announced.

That was when Elsa finally noticed that Olaf, who had been seated on the other side of Anna, had her hand in his palm, Anna letting him play with her fingers and most importantly her claws. Anna was looking at him, but showed no signs of growing anger or the desire to lunge at him.

Still it made Elsa's heart race.

"Olaf! Stop it!" She hissed.

"Claws? Does our lady need a trim?" Agnarr laughed.

"She has claws dad! Like an animal!" Olaf announced excited.

"Don't be rude, Olaf." Iduna scolded.

"But its true!" Olaf pouted.

"Um…" Elsa spoke up bashfully, nervous. "Actually… he's right." Elsa said, knowing that she would have to do this eventually. She had meant to have it done right away, but she got carried away with her family.

"Elsa!" Her mother whispered, angry that her daughter would say something like that.

Elsa drew in a breath. "Don't freak out, okay? She uh… she doesn't like it when people get upset and make loud noises around her." Elsa said.

"You're talking like she's some beast from the forest." Her father laughed.

If only he knew.

"I mean it… no one freak out. She's really nice, I swear." Elsa said one more time.

Her mother almost spoke up, to scold her again for talking about a person like that. However Elsa reached over and grabbed Anna's hood. With slow movement, she pulled the hood down, the entire table gasping at the sight.

Anna blinked at the family, serpentine like eyes watching all of their reactions. Iduna looked shocked, Agnarr looked shocked, Marshall looked shocked.

Olaf had the biggest smile on his face.

"Way cool! Can I have horns like that?! Can I mom, please?!" he questioned.

Elsa decided to speak up when no one else did.

"Thank you… for not screaming or anything. She may look different, but she's really nice once you get to know her." Elsa said, her hand still holding Anna's under the table.

Anna, the odd one out at the table, looked around at everyone, letting her eyes settle on Olaf. Anna had already figured out that these were people related to Elsa. She could smell it on them. It certainly helped that the mother shared so many features that Elsa had. She recognized the two adults as Elsa's parents. The two children were obviously more offspring, making them Elsa's little brothers. Anna was already expecting their reactions, seeing as everyone seemed to have it once they saw her. She was beginning to grow used to it. Truthfully she enjoyed it, she liked their fear. It showed that she was dominant, that they feared her. The only strange thing to be found here, was the smallest human here. He did not seem to fear her, in fact he looked quite happy once the hood came off. She had let him play with her fingers earlier, finding no harm in letting him touch her. He was small, and if need be, Anna would smack him under his chin to teach him a lesson.

Anna had no interest in harming anyone here, but that didn't mean she wouldn't if someone challenged her.

She looked to Agnarr, finding his jaw tense and his eyes settling on hers.

"Is it… normal that she's staring at me like that?" Agnarr asked, doing his best to follow his daughters orders and not grow excited.

Elsa looked to Anna. "Stop staring at people." She scolded, and to everyone's surprise at the table, she gave Anna a small smack on the shoulder.

Anna grumbled and looked to Elsa, wondering why she was being scolded.

"My promotion at the castle… may involve Anna here." Elsa said.

"Anna?" Iduna asked, nervously fiddling with her fingers, she too was trying to follow Elsa's advice, not wanting to excite Anna and potentially get the kids harmed.

"Yes. Um… I was promoted to watch over her. I'm kind of like her caregiver at the castle." Elsa was making up lies again, but she needed something closer to the truth, something that would explain her absence better then being a maid, not to mention the larger sums of money that would come in now.

"Does Anna like uh… meat?" Agnarr asked.

Elsa shook her head. "She doesn't eat people." A lie. She knew Anna was capable of it, but she had never seen her do it.

Agnarr let out a big breath at that. "Well… that's nice to know." Then he decided to do something very brave indeed. "I'm Agnarr, its a pleasure to meet you, Anna." He raised his hand for Anna to take.

Anna stared at his hand, looking to Elsa.

"Go on." Elsa encouraged, gesturing her head towards her father's awaiting hand.

Seeing as her left hand was in Elsa's, Anna saw no problem with this. She reached out her right hand and placed it into Agnarr's. The man closed his hand around hers, mindful of her claws as he gave it a brief shake. He took his hand back, Anna letting it go with ease.

Agnarr nodded at this. "Doesn't seem so bad." He tried to play it off, but truthfully he had expected Anna to pull him across the table and bite into his neck.

"I really want those claws." Olaf said.

Iduna barked out a small laugh, unable to contain it at Olaf's continued enthusiasm.

"And you hang around her all the time?" Iduna asked.

Elsa nodded. "I'm her caregiver… they call me 'Beast-Tamer'." Elsa laughed a small laugh.

Marshall nearly snapped his neck with how fast he looked from Anna to Elsa.

"_You're_ the 'Beast-Tamer'?!" He questioned.

"You've heard that name before?" Agnarr asked.

Marshall was quick to nod. "The other kids say that a legendary tamer of beasts had tamed an incredible beast and that they lived in the castle now. They said that he first appeared in the plaza." Marshall said, though after a moment he scrunched up his nose in thought. "They said that you were a guy though."

Elsa laughed nervously. "A lot of people assume I'm a guy. You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear, Marshmallow. They tend to be exaggerated." She scolded him, truthfully just trying to cover herself better.

"So… you care for this girl and others, having seen you, assume you to be some legendary tamer of beasts that they call the 'Beast-Tamer'." Agnarr asked, looking suspicious.

Elsa swallowed nervously. "That about sums it up." A lie that was so close to the truth.

Agnarr suddenly smacked the table, a loud laugh exiting his mouth. "My daughter is famous! Not only does she work in the castle, but she's known as 'legendary'! Please Elsa, you will have to contain any further good news, I feel as though my heart will burst with pride." He smiled at her.

Elsa let out a breath in the form of a laugh.

"I um… I'm glad you're taking it so well. I was nervous you wouldn't approve." Elsa said.

Agnarr shrugged. "She seems… behaved." He said after looking to Anna who was staring at Olaf who was playing with her fingers again. "Oh, there he goes again, Iduna." He snitched.

"Olaf!" A shout from both Elsa and Iduna.

"Aww." A pout from Olaf as he was forced to take his hand back.

Elsa glared at Olaf for a moment before remembering something. "Oh!" She suddenly spoke up. "I've also got a trick to make her like you really fast." Elsa looked to her mother. "You still keep the sweets at the back of the cabinet right?"

Her mother nodded while Agnarr looked thoroughly offended.

"That's where they are hidden?!" he questioned, outraged at being denied sweets.

Elsa quickly got up, leaving Anna at the table as she raced to the cabinets. While Agnarr looked more comfortable at the table, everyone else still felt nervous around Anna, well not Olaf anyway. Anna just watched Elsa as she rummaged around the kitchen before coming back. Anna smelled at the air, catching a hint of something pleasant, something familiar.

"Okay each of you take one." Elsa said as she dropped something in everyone's hand as she went around the table.

Elsa made it back around just in time to keep Anna in her seat as the girl finally realized what the smell was.

"Stay, Anna." She commanded with a smile, loving how she could tell how excited Anna was getting. "Okay, now everyone give her what's in your hand, one at a time." Elsa told them.

Olaf of course was the first to give what he had, stretching out his hand. Despite Anna's eagerness, she took the piece of chocolate in his hand with delicacy that not even Elsa knew she had. She ripped away the covering and stuck it into her mouth, growling in a light way at the taste, looking like she'd just taken a bite of heaven.

Elsa had to admit, Ariel was right, it did almost sound like a purr.

One by one her family gave her the chocolate, all of them feeling a bit more at ease with the way Anna would carefully take it from them and pop it into her mouth. Anna smiled after her last piece, looking to the family happily instead of in an uninterested way.

"It's like feeding a stray dog." Agnarr commented.

"She's no dog, she's a person." Elsa told him, not in a scolding manner, mostly because she understood where he was coming from.

"I guess she isn't so bad." Marshall commented, he too feeling like he had just made friends with a dog of some sort.

Iduna didn't seem so convinced. "I suppose." She commented.

"She's really nice, mom." Elsa said, her hands rubbing away at Anna's shoulders. The girl contently leaning back into her as she licked away chocolate from her teeth.

Iduna nodded, putting on a smile for Elsa.

Agnarr stared for a moment before, "Where's the rest of that chocolate?! This is quite fun if I do say so!" Agnarr said as he stood up to steal more treats.

"Me too!" Both Olaf and Marshall called as they followed their father.

Her mother only shook her head, wondering where she'd have to stash the treats now that the boys knew just where to find it.

Elsa smiled, loving how they came back and fed Anna more treats, the girl growling in that purring way as she got more and more fed to her. Elsa was glad she had done this, glad she hadn't thought it would be a mistake. Mostly she was glad that Ariel had walked into her room that morning. She wondered in what way she could repay the girl for this knowledge that she'd given her.

Anna could be nice to others, something Elsa had begun to doubt.

Elsa stayed with her family for lunch, deciding that since Anna was being so kind and seeming to get along with her family, that she could stay. Elsa was helping her mother in the kitchen, keeping an eye on Anna while she sat at the table, her father trying to teach Anna to arm wrestle for some strange reason.

"You never were all that good at lying, you know?"

Elsa turned to her mother who had suddenly spoke.

"What?"

Her mother continued prepping the food as she spoke, not bothering to look at Elsa. "Your lies. You're not good at it. Your brothers are too young to question it and your father too blind to even think it were possible." She said.

Elsa looked down at that. "It's mostly the truth." Elsa said, not bothering to try and lie to her mother who had seen right through her.

"I'm sure it is. And I'm sure you have good reason for not telling us the whole truth… there's just one thing I need to know." Her mother looked to her, eyes concerned. "Are you safe? Are you in trouble?"

Elsa actually chuckled at that. "I wasn't lying when I said that Anna has been there for me since I left. I am safe with her. She protects me. As for trouble? No, I'm not in any trouble. The most trouble I have is making sure that Anna doesn't bite anyone." Elsa chuckled again at the thought, knowing it was possible, but for some reason finding it humorous.

Her mother sighed in relief. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to drag you away from the castle. I know we need the money right now, but we'll find a way around it. We always do." Her mother said.

Elsa nodded. "The job is good mother. It really does involve me watching Anna." She didn't tell her that it also involved her going to fight the southern isles' soldiers at times. For the most part she did just rely on Anna to do everything.

The thought made her feel sick.

"I see." Her mother went back to preparing the food.

Elsa, finding that her mother was so willing to talk and accepting of things, decided to bring something up.

"Mom…" She gathered her attention first. "I felt it… the ice." Elsa said.

You would think someone just threatened to kill Iduna's entire family with the shocked expression she made. "What?" She asked in disbelief.

"It wasn't like before, don't worry." Elsa quickly said, not wanting to give her mother a heart attack. "But… I've felt it lately. I've… _used_ it. It was so different from before mom. It didn't hurt, it just came out." Elsa tried to explain, a feeling welling up inside her. If she could learn to control it, she could help Anna more. She wouldn't have to rely on Anna to save her time and time again. If she could learn to use the ice, harness it, she could be more powerful than Anna. She could _protect_ Anna.

"Don't!" her mother whispered angrily. "Whenever you feel it you know what to do! You conceal, you don't feel! Nothing good could ever come of using that power." Her mother told her, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"But… mom-"

"No! You will conceal it, Elsa! Don't forget what happened before." She suddenly looked downcast. "I lost you once… don't do it again to me Elsa. I could never go through that kind of pain again." Her mother said.

Elsa did remember what happened. She remembered the way the ice tore into her skin, remembered the intensity of the cold as it burrowed into her veins and turned her blood to ice. She remembered the pain, the all consuming pain she felt as it reached her heart.

How could she ever forget dying?

"Okay…" Elsa agreed.

"Good… now lets get this food ready for the boys… and girl." Her mother said.

Elsa suddenly heard a shout of pain. She heard laughter that quickly quelled her nerves. She turned to find her father with his arm pinned to the table, calls of mercy being asked as Anna held his arm down. While her father really was in some pain from Anna's arm wrestling skills, the man wore a big smile as he laughed. Marshall and Olaf laughing at his expense as well.

"Stop, Anna. At least leave my father with his arm intact." Elsa told her.

At the command, Anna let go, though she smiled in triumph. She didn't understand why he was trying to force her arm down, that is until she finally figured out that this was a test of strength. Needless to say, Anna showed him no mercy and slammed his arm down with enough strength to show him that she would be no easy opponent. She of course held back, not wanting to hurt the father of the girl she liked so much.

Anna watched as he set his arm up again.

"Beginners luck." He told her cheekily.

Anna smiled, enjoying this game he liked to play.

Elsa watched on as Anna beat him again, this time toying with him and letting him nearly win before she turned the tables on him. It was moments like this that Elsa was reminded that Anna was indeed human in a way. She liked to play, just like when she took the wooden knight from Elsa and made her chase her. She was also reminded that not all challenges were met with fierce snarls and bloodied claws. Elsa just smiled as Olaf challenged her next, he met the same fate as his father, only in a much softer manner. Seems Anna didn't believe in letting anyone best her, even for fun.

Not that Elsa minded.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey! Yeah, slow update huh? I've slowed down a lot, i guess I'm burning out. Still, I should be able to keep up with one chapter a week for the rest of this month at the very least. Anyway, enough about me, onto those lovely reviews.

Lance58: I feel like if i tell you, I'd be spoiling, so I wont. :3

Guest: Yeah I was a bit nervous about doing the introduction to the family, was worried I'd write it all wrong. People seem to like it though, so I guess I didn't fail too hard xD. Also you were right about the burning out thing, geez I didn't think about it when i was writing like 1 chapter every day or so and now I'm struggling to get one out per week. I'll manage though.

Nara375: Hey! I don't think its spoilers at this point to say that Elsa did freeze. I've dropped a lot of hints to that. How she thawed? Well that might be spoilers so I'll keep that to myself for now. As for the blood... hmm, once again I can't spoil. I'll also see about getting Anastasia in, I haven't watched the movie since I was a kid, but i'll manage somehow.

Laryssa1234: Yes... hopefully we will have fun for awhile. Who knows, maybe I'm done being cruel and everyone gets to live and be happy =)... you don't believe me do you?

DreamWalker: Yes, I agree. With how well she's done with the family, who knows who else Elsa could begin introducing her to. (Well I know, but we'll pretend I don't.)

Alright, that should be everyone, ty guys for the reviews as usual, always puts a smile on my face to see what you guys have to say. I won't trouble you anymore with my ranting though, onto the story!

* * *

"You will wear them!" Elsa said forcefully.

A growl was the response she got.

"You want to play that way? I'm not kidding Anna, you're going to wear them and you're going to like it." Elsa told her sternly,

A challenging growl from someone on Elsa's old bed.

"You asked for it!"

Elsa dove onto her, fingers aiming for Anna's stomach. Gales of laughter filled the bedroom as Elsa had her way with Anna's toned stomach. She tickled away at Anna for several minutes, tickling until the girl had no fight left in her. Once she was satisfied, she took the instruments of torture and began applying them to Anna's feet.

Anna groaned as she had no strength to fight back, not to mention she was scared for another tickle attack.

"There. Not so bad now is it?" Elsa asked.

Anna growled as she looked at her feet, seeing a pair of Agnarr's old shoes on her feet. Anna wiggled her toes, finding the footwear highly uncomfortable, especially with her claws tucked in so close.

"You'll thank me once we step outside and you're not stepping in snow anymore." Elsa told her. "And don't you dare try to take them off." Elsa warned, fingers curling menacingly as she eyed Anna's stomach.

Anna wrapped her around her stomach, smiling as she shrunk away from Elsa, worried for another attack.

Elsa decided to spare her. "Now, come on." Elsa said, extending a hand to Anna to help her off of her old bed. They were in Elsa's old room, Elsa having taken her here just in case she had to fight with her to put the shoes on.

She was glad she did.

Anna took her offered help and stood. Elsa, the foolish girl, had used her injured right shoulder to help Anna up. She winced at the pain that spiked in her shoulder. Elsa quickly grabbed at her wound, grimacing.

"Wish I had more of your healing remedies. I'm sure this is going to leave a scar." Elsa said jokingly, but she was partially speaking the truth. She couldn't say she wanted a scar on her shoulder.

Anna reached up and touched softly at the injured shoulder. She gave Elsa a smile, one that told Elsa she knew what it was like to be in pain. There was a bit more to it, something else that Elsa didn't see. Anna honestly found it attractive, the wound that is. It meant that Elsa survived a battle, that she had bested her foes. While Anna may have taken care of them for her, she was still proud of Elsa for enduring and not running away.

She wished she could express it.

"Elsa, talk?" Anna asked.

Elsa's eyebrows raised. Since when did Anna learn that word?

"You want to talk?" Elsa asked.

"Elsa, talk." Anna said again.

Elsa could only imagine that Anna wanted more lessons on speech.

"Hmm… not right now. Once we get back to the castle though, I'd be glad to teach you a few things." Elsa told her kindly, smile in place.

Anna didn't understand, but she understood that it couldn't be now, as Elsa grabbed her hand and pulled her along. They exited Elsa's old bedroom. Well, truthfully the bedroom belonged to all three siblings. Elsa remembered times when she'd tuck her brothers into bed before walking to her own bed not far away.

She felt a small pain in her chest, not realizing how much it would hurt to have to leave them again.

"So you're leaving, dear?" Her mother asked as Elsa left the room and entered the living room that was also the dining room.

Elsa gave a nod. "I have a room at the castle." She admitted.

"She's got a room, Iduna." Agnarr said, trying to contain himself, not wanting to stop his daughter if she had to leave.

"I heard her."

"In the castle, Iduna."

Iduna turned a glare to Agnarr. "I _heard_ her."

Elsa chuckled at their banter. "I should go, it's already nightfall." Elsa said.

Agnarr grimaced at that. "It is. Maybe I should go with you, just in case." He said, already preparing to get up.

Elsa raised her hand that was still holding Anna's. She gave it a shake and raised an eyebrow at him, her point coming across clear. Not only did she have Anna, but she'd even be holding her hand.

"Ah… right. Well don't let this old fool keep you. At least grant me a hug before you go though." He rose.

Elsa did give him a hug. In fact she gave one to every member of her family. No one tried to hug Anna, at least no one tried until Olaf decided to show them how it was done.

"Goodbye, Anna." Olaf said, walking up and hugging Anna around her waist, seeing as that was as high as his tiny arms would go.

Anna looked to Elsa.

Elsa shrugged. "He likes warm hugs." She said with a smile.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly as Elsa was beginning to learn, Anna reached down and let her hands rest on Olaf's back, returning the hug in the best way she could from her position. Olaf was the first to let go, Anna staring at him in seeming disinterest. The rest of the family stared at Anna, no one saying anything.

Well, until Agnarr smiled. "Oh, come here girl!" He walked up and threw his arms around Anna.

Elsa shrunk back at the sight, almost expecting Anna to lash out. All Anna did however was reach up and let her arms rest around his back. Elsa wondered if she should feel bad that she always assumed Anna would tear into someone for the slightest offense. Elsa decided she'd trust Anna a bit more, especially after seeing how well she did with Elsa's family.

Marshall did not walk up to give a hug, his young mind thinking it was sappy and uncool to do so. He was growing up was all, finally hitting an age where he felt embarrassed about certain things. Elsa wasn't surprised by that, but rather her mother who withheld on giving Anna a hug as well. She wondered if her mother still didn't trust Anna. It couldn't have been that bad, she certainly let Anna near Olaf and Marshall, which spoke volumes on how much she trusted Anna not to hurt them.

She never really thought that maybe her mother trusted _her _more than Anna.

Elsa left the home, calls of goodbyes exchanged between both her and her family. She even managed to get Anna to say it, hoping to teach the girl that it was a friendly way to leave someone. Once outside, and once the door closed, Elsa and Anna set off for the castle. Anna walking a bit funny thanks to her shoes.

"We can find a pair that fit you better next time, but I will not having you walking back to the castle in the middle of the night with no shoes." Elsa told her, giggling at the way Anna was walking.

Anna merely growled back, understanding when she was being laughed at.

Elsa, having been introduced to Anna's kinder side, decided to play a bit.

She imitated Anna's growl, directing it at the redhead.

Anna's eyes widened at the sound.

A curious growl.

Elsa furrowed her brows and growled at Anna. Her angry facade quickly melting when a smile split her face and she laughed.

Anna paused, staring at her before a small smile graced her face as she realized that Elsa was playing. She gave Elsa nudge with her shoulder, not enough to knock the blonde off balance, but enough to show her that Anna understood a playful gesture.

"Maybe in exchange for my teaching, you'll teach me to be scarier someday." Elsa said.

Anna made a small noise in the back of her throat.

The two journeyed back to the castle, walking through the snow, leaving footprints to tell of their existence. Elsa decided that she didn't have to wait until the castle to start teaching Anna, so she began to as they walked. She started off by pointing to things and naming them, making sure Anna repeated her as they went along. It was fun, and Anna caught onto words fast, making things easier.

It was fun all the way until she made it to the hallway that contained her room in the castle.

"That's a statue. Statue." Elsa said, repeating the word she wanted Anna to say.

"Statue." Anna repeated easily, happy to learn from Elsa, but more happy to see Elsa smiling.

"Hmm… that's a painting. Paint-" Elsa paused.

There was someone outside of Elsa's room, sitting on the floor outside her door. She of course knew who it was. There was only one person in the kingdom of Arendelle with such long and vibrant blonde hair.

Queen Rapunzel sat outside her door, looking especially not regal with the way she was sitting and kicking her feet up and down to fight off boredom.

The queen noticed them after Elsa stopped a dozen feet away, Anna of course stopping with her.

A bright smile lit the queen's face. "Ah! There you are! You know I've been waiting here for three hours!" She said, looking as though it were a happy three hours.

Elsa scrunched her eyes in disbelief.

"Why were you waiting for three hours outside of my room… your majesty." She tossed in the title at the end for good measure. Truthfully, Elsa was still upset with the queen over what had happened this morning during the meeting.

Rapunzel looked like a giddy child as she stood up, hands behind her back.

"Well… I heard an interesting rumor that has been spreading throughout the maids of the castle." Rapunzel said, eyeing Anna.

Elsa took a look at Anna who was subtly sniffing at the air, her senses picking up on something apparently.

"A rumor?" Elsa asked.

"The famous Beast-Tamer's beast is supposedly not so hard to tame." Rapunzel said, walking closer to them now.

Elsa eyed her as she walked up, feeling uncomfortable with the queen's approach and the way her eyes never left Anna's.

"I assure you… she is not so easy to control." Elsa said, wondering who was spreading rumors. Had someone figured out her secret? Did someone know that she didn't actually tame Anna in any way? How could they have known? Had they seen something? Had Elsa slipped up somewhere?

So many questions ran through her head that she did not realize that the queen was now face to face with Anna, barely a foot apart.

"You're supposed to be terrifying… But I hear you're a big softy." Rapunzel told Anna.

Anna's brows furrowed, not understanding the queen, but understanding her tone was off. She growled instinctively, warning the queen to back off.

"Your majesty." Elsa finally took notice after hearing Anna. "I must insist that you back away. Anna can be very dangerous." She tried, trying to strike fear into the queen.

Rapunzel laughed at that.

"Oh, really? Because what I heard was…" Rapunzel suddenly revealed her hands to Anna, the sudden gesture making Anna lunge towards her. However she quickly stopped, barely moving two inches in her lunge as she saw just what was in Rapunzel's hands. "You love chocolate!" She finished.

Rapunzel was quickly relieved of the chocolate in her possession as Anna snatched it away, devouring it with all the manners of beast. Elsa just watched, not knowing who deserved the scolding more, The queen for walking up to Anna without knowing what she was capable of, or Anna for snatching away chocolate from the _queen_ of all people. Elsa furrowed her brows as the queen began to pull chocolate from places that Elsa never imagined you could hide in a dress.

"That's right. I hear you're just a big choco-holic. You are aren't you? Yes, Yes I believe you are." The queen said as she fed more and more chocolate to a greedy Anna.

"She's not a dog." Elsa said, still upset with the queen and not liking anyone treating Anna like an animal.

"I'm well aware." Was all the queen had to say, smile on her face.

Elsa watched as she _literally_ fed a treat to Anna, the queen raising her hand and Anna opening her mouth and taking it from her. The scene made Elsa angry for some reason. She didn't know why, but she chalked it up to her earlier aggression towards the queen. She was still mad about being used as bait.

"Don't you have… royal duties to attend?" Elsa asked, trying not to be offensive, but not really wanting to deal with her right now.

"No." Another treat was fed to Anna.

"Where is your bodyguard? Sir Flynn." She asked, wondering if she could talk him into making her leave.

"Don't know." Another treat was given.

Elsa grit her teeth. "Your majesty, Anna and me are quite tired. We would like to-"

"I." The queen said.

"What?"

"Anna and 'I' are quite tired. That is how you say it." She told her with a smile, eyes never leaving Anna.

That was the last straw.

"Your majesty, unless there is something you need of me, I would like to go to sleep." Elsa finally said.

The queen finally looked to her. "Oh. No, there is nothing I need. You may go." She looked back to Anna.

Elsa just stared, flabbergasted at being dismissed and yet the queen continued to feed Anna.

Doing her best not to rage at the queen, she turned to leave. "We're leaving, Anna." She commanded, a foot going in front of the other as she began to walk away.

Elsa made it five feet before she realized that Anna was not following.

"Anna!"

"There is no need to shout." The queen said, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You may go ahead, I still have a few chocolates to give." She said as she reached into yet another area of her dress before magically pulling out yet another chocolate delicacy.

Elsa almost screamed, but she settled on simply turning on her heel and marching away back into her room, feet pressing into the ground a bit harder as she went, creating an echo in the hall. She went into her room and closed the door. So angry was she, that for a few seconds she simply stood by the door, fingers curling and uncurling in anger as she growled to herself. She couldn't believe that Anna refused to follow her, lured in so easily by treats to the woman that they were supposed to despise right now.

Well… maybe Anna had no reason to be mad.

Elsa scoffed at the thought, Anna would surely be mad if she found out that she was actually bait and that she nearly died because the queen forgot to mention it. There was also the fact that she never mentioned the rumor of the southern isle's possessing demons in their ranks. The mere thought of these things made Elsa want to strangle the queen. And who did she think she was feeding Anna? Anna was dangerous, Anna wasn't some cute little dog that you got to pet and feed treats to. Anna was a monster, Anna was-

Elsa suddenly stopped at that.

Had she really thought that? Even if it was only brief, she had considered Anna a monster. She shook her head, realizing that she was just angry. Yes, she was angry with Anna as well. Anna should have been ashamed of herself to be so easily pulled in by mere chocolates. Elsa liked chocolate too, but she wasn't so easily impressed by everyone who possessed it. She needed to have a talk with Anna, to teach her that she shouldn't go around trusting everyone who gave her chocolate.

Elsa seemed to forget that she once planned to have people walk around with chocolates to avoid Anna's wrath if need be.

Elsa went and fell on her bed with as much rage as she could, which wasn't much in appearance. She fell down on the bed with her light body, barely causing a bounce to occur. For some reason this too angered her and she sought vengeance upon an innocent pillow, smacking it once and then twice. Really, how could Anna so easily leave her for a few chocolates? It infuriated her. Anna was supposed to follow her, supposed to _need_ her.

Something bumped into the door before the knob was fiddled with.

"Elsa?" A muffled voice outside.

Elsa turned on the bed, still angry with Anna who was on the other side of the door. She listened as Anna continued trying to fiddle with the knob. At first Elsa didn't know what she was doing, that is until she realized that Anna could not open the door.

The girl didn't understand how to twist the knob.

Suddenly Elsa's anger melted as she giggled. She shook her head though, feeling that she should be angry. So, she _forced_ herself to be angry, scrunching up her face with annoyance as she got up to open the door for Anna.

She opened the door to find Anna indeed on the other side, no queen in sight. Elsa poked her head out just to be sure. It seemed that the queen had left after feeding Anna. Elsa turned her dark gaze to Anna, staring at the girl who was oblivious to Elsa's mood. Anna just looked at her, still licking chocolate from her teeth. Elsa noticed that her face was a mess from stuffing chocolate into her gullet. The chocolates had likely partially melted as well from sitting in Rapunzel's… 'pockets' for so long. Elsa still didn't know where she hid all that chocolate in her dress. Elsa looked down to find Anna's fingers had chocolate on them as well.

She sighed, annoyed look fading. Perhaps it was the big sister in her, but she couldn't stay mad at the sight of Anna. It only reminded her of cleaning up a messy Olaf and even a messy Marshall when he was younger.

"Look at you… you're a mess." Elsa said, shaking her head in disappointment at Anna's eating manners.

Anna blinked her snake-like eyes before sticking out a tongue to lick at the chocolate around her lips.

Elsa groaned as she pulled Anna into the room. She stared at the chocolate covered girl, wondering just what she was meant to do about this. She searched the room for a rag, but found nothing. In the end she ended up using her old peasant clothes to wipe away at Anna's mouth and to clean her fingers. It took some doing, but it was overall an easy task to complete. Once she was finished, she threw away the old shirt she used and looked to Anna.

Anna licked at her lips, disappointed that there was no more chocolate to taste.

"Elsa, talk?" Anna asked.

She smiled at that, smiled at the thought of Anna needing her to learn the language.

"Okay. Let's see…" Elsa began.

Elsa went on to teach Anna several words, most of it being things in the room. She even tried teaching Anna to put together sentences. All in all the teaching went well, and Anna and Elsa ended up staying up much later than what would be considered a good time for bed.

This was to be regretted come morning.

"Mr. Larsa." Someone called.

Elsa continued to doze in her bed.

A knock before, "Mr. Larsa!"

Elsa snorted as she woke up, dazed for a moment as she gathered her surroundings.

"I'm awake." Elsa said, trying to rid her eyes of the crust from sleep.

"Oh, good. Is it alright if I come in, sir?" Someone asked from outside the door.

Elsa yawned. "Yes."

The door opened, revealing crimson colored hair and big blue eyes.

"I'm sorry to awaken you." Ariel said as she stood just inside the room.

Elsa shook her head. "No, no. I was just getting up." A lie, one easy to spot by her tired demeanor.

Ariel gave a small smile. "Of course, sir." She looked to see Anna still asleep beside Elsa, her hair thankfully not a mess thanks to the braids Elsa gave her. "Good morning, Anna." She called out, hoping to catch sight of the friendly girl from before.

A snore was the response she got.

"Good luck. She sleeps like a rock." Elsa muttered.

Ariel gave a nod. "I see."

"What was it you needed?" Elsa asked after a short moment.

"Sir Kristoff requests your presence out on the training field." Ariel told her.

Elsa looked to her. "So early?" Elsa asked.

Ariel chuckled. "It is noon, sir."

Elsa blushed, feeling embarrassed. She didn't realize that she had stayed up for so long with Anna last night.

"Of course. That is what I meant." Elsa tried to cover herself, though the smile Ariel wore seemed to tell her a different story. "I shall be there as soon as possible." Elsa said.

Ariel gave a bow as she exited the room, taking one last peek at a sleeping Anna before leaving. Elsa yawned once more as the girl left, stretching her arms as far as they would go. She was tired, no doubt, but she couldn't ignore a call from Kristoff.

Now to wake the beast.

Elsa reached over and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder, already shaking her, knowing that the girl wouldn't wake up otherwise.

"Anna. Come on, we have to get ready."

Anna grumbled in her sleep, her dreams consisting of chasing down animals back in her forest.

Elsa crumbled those dreams with another shake and a shout to Anna. Elsa watched the sleepy redhead sit up, looking around to see if there was any danger. Once none was found, she laid back down, looking to Elsa with a not so amused expression.

Elsa only raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, tell me about it." She agreed with Anna's silent thoughts at being woken up so early.

Elsa ended up getting herself and Anna ready to meet with Kristoff. The wardrobe still had new clothes to wear, and so both she and Anna partook. She thought to re-braid Anna's hair, but decided against it. She left her room and asked a few servants she passed how to get to the training grounds. They were happy to oblige, if only to get Elsa to hurry and leave with Anna. One maid, surprisingly, whipped out a piece of chocolate at the sight of Anna. The poor girl was frightened, obviously learning from Ariel about Anna and chocolate. She seemed to have the hope that Anna would devour the chocolate instead of her own body.

She was correct.

The maid had her chocolate devoured as she wished and her body was left intact. Elsa wondered if she would have to put a stop to this, seeing how unhealthy it was for Anna to continue consuming so much chocolate. Either way, she decided it was okay for now, seeing as it eased the poor maid's heart to see Anna enjoy the chocolate so much. While she was still frightened, she did give Elsa directions to the training grounds which was not far, meaning she had followed the previous servants' directions just fine.

Elsa found herself walking out to the training grounds. Around her soldiers trained despite the climate. Truthfully, Elsa could never tell just how cold it really was, seeing as she never had much problem with the chill of winter. It would take a truly cold day to make her shiver.

Like the night before with Anna.

She shook her head at the thought, not wanting to relive that memory. She and Anna had already made up, there was no point in dwelling on it. She looked for Kristoff, having trouble finding him among so many soldiers. It was by sheer luck that she recognized his shiny breastplate off in the distance. She walked over to him, approaching him and finding him talking with a man with some strange… _thing_ on his face.

"It's an honor to be called upon by you, Sir Kristoff." The man was saying.

Kristoff looked completely uncomfortable receiving such praise.

"There's no need for that. Consider us both soldiers right now." Kristoff said, noticing Elsa out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, Larsa, you're here." He seemed relieved, thankful even to divert the conversation elsewhere.

"Hello, Sir Kristoff." Elsa greeted. Kristoff went to speak, but Elsa suddenly looked to Anna and gave her a nudge. "Go on, Anna." She nudged her head towards Kristoff, eyeing Anna expectantly.

Anna looked to Elsa and then to Kristoff. The dissatisfied look on her face for what she was about to do was near comical.

"Hello, Kristoff." Anna said.

Kristoff's eyes widened. "Did she just-"

"Yes!" Elsa interrupted, looking like a giddy child. "I've been teaching her. She knows how to greet people now." Elsa seemed very excited and even proud of herself.

Kristoff stared for a moment, not knowing what to say. He eventually cleared his throat and gestured towards the man beside him.

"This is Milo Thatch." Kristoff introduced.

Milo was quick to reach out a scrawny arm to shake hands with Elsa. "Wow, so you're the Beast-Tamer." He was amazed. Elsa placed her hand into his, Milo beginning to shake as he continued. "Amazing. How did you find her? Has she always been capable of speech? No, wait, you said you taught her! That's amazing. What method did you use? How did you tame her in the first place? Is she really like a normal person? Does she have the same diet? How fast can she run? How long can she run? Can she-"

"Enough, Milo." Kristoff said. "And give Larsa his hand back."

It was then that Milo realized he had still been shaking Elsa's hand. He quickly let go, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, it's just not everyday I meet someone so famous and for good reason."

Famous? Elsa? The blonde mentally scoffed at the idea.

"I'm just a normal person." Elsa said.

"Really? Because there's a rumor going around that you're some sort of beast as well. They say that's how you tamed her. The idea behind it being that only a beast could tame a beast." Milo said, excited to hear Elsa's side of the story.

Kristoff cleared his throat loudly to gather attention.

"I didn't call you out here to ask Larsa a million questions." Kristoff said.

"Sorry." Milo shrunk away a bit.

Kristoff turned to Elsa now. "You want to fight, right?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at that. "Are you… questioning if I will fight for Arendelle?" Elsa thought it strange to ask considering she had been injured in a fight for Arendelle citizens.

Kristoff shook his head. "I'm not questioning your loyalty. The truth is that you can't fight." Kristoff said, his words stinging Elsa a bit. "However like any soldier, you will learn." He told her.

Elsa blinked at him. "Are you saying you will train me? In your condition?" Elsa was looking at the crutches he was still using.

"I will not personally fight you, no." Kristoff reached over and clapped a hand onto Milo's shoulder. "That is what training partners are for." He said.

Elsa looked to Milo who was smiling, looking like he still had a hundred questions to ask Elsa.

"I see… Um… how are we going to go about this?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff nodded his head between the two.

"You two will spar. I will watch and try to improve both of your swordsmanship." He told her easily.

Kristoff then turned and tried to reach down and pick up one of the wooden swords he had brought with him and laid down on the ground. _Tried _being the word of the day. Elsa and Milo watched as he attempted to pick up a sword while leaning on his crutch. He found it impossible and decided to ditch the crutch as he bent down again, though the small cry of pain at moving his ribs and leg too much was enough to make him stop. He turned, feeling a bit embarrassed, to find Elsa and Milo pretending that they didn't see what happened.

Anna stared at him, a mocking smile on her face.

He narrowed his eyes at her before standing upright with his crutches.

"Milo and you will fight with wooden swords." He gestured to the swords. Elsa and Milo didn't need to take a hint twice and both went to pick up a sword. "I see you didn't bring your armor." Kristoff noted.

"I didn't realize I would be needing it." Elsa said a bit sheepish.

"I called you out to the training grounds… oh whatever. Milo take off your armor, I want this to be fair." Kristoff told him.

Milo was quick to begin removing his soldier armor. While he was doing that, Elsa decided to try and save some trouble by explaining things to Anna. She walked over to the girl and showed her the wooden sword.

"We're just going to be training, Anna. That means you're not supposed to get upset." Elsa told her, placing the sword in Anna's hands so that she could feel it. "See? it's not even sharp."

Anna fiddled with the sword a bit.

"Okay, I'm ready." Milo called out, his armor laying on the snow covered ground. He was wrapped up tightly in thick clothes, looking very prepared for the winter in comparison to Elsa who only wore two shirts and trousers. She wondered briefly just how cold it really was outside right now.

"Okay, Anna. No getting upset, okay?" Elsa said, taking the sword back from Anna and approaching her opponent.

"You will both be evenly matched. Milo isn't exactly the most trained soldier." He said to Elsa. "Larsa is new to the army as well." He told Milo. "You will begin when I say so. You will stop when I decide someone has struck a fatal blow. Try not to kill one another, remember its just practice." Kristoff said, though he was eyeing Anna.

At the sound of Kristoff's shout of 'Begin', both soldiers went at one another. Kristoff, while mostly watching the fight, kept an eye on Anna. To his surprise, Anna stayed where she was, watching the battle with interest instead of running to try and save Elsa.

What Kristoff couldn't have known was that Anna _did _understand that this was practice. Anna was aware of the difference between duels of practice and duels of death. Her first clue lied in how harmless this Milo person seemed. He seemed excited to meet Elsa, excited to talk with her, and Anna could feel no malice coming from him. It helped that Elsa also showed Anna the blade. She felt at it, realized it was dull and wooden and would not be harming anyone in a major way. She also realized that Kristoff was a sort of referee, something she had seen in her own village. Anna was a part of her villages scouts, and one did not become a scout without practice in combat.

She would not run to save Elsa because she understood that Elsa did not need saving right now.

"Stop!" Kristoff called out after Milo landed a hit to Elsa's sword arm. "That would have been your arm, Larsa." He told her. Kristoff gave instructions to both on how to better improve their combat. He told Elsa of the fact that she had no proper stance and that her swings were wild and unplanned. Milo received much of the same lecture, though he saw fit to tell him not to hit so hard as well. "Begin again."

The sounds of wooden swords clashing filled the area, though it was mostly drowned out by the real training going on around them. In truth, both Milo and Elsa were incredibly inexperienced, which made them a perfect match for one another so long as Kristoff offered instruction. Kristoff wondered briefly what the army was coming to when two scrawny young men were dueling one another with wooden swords. The training went on for some time, both soldiers giving it their all for nearly an hour before Kristoff decided they deserved a break.

"Okay, enough. Take a small break." He said, disappointed with how quickly both Elsa and Milo ran out of stamina, The two looked ready to keel over.

"Wow, you're good. But I guess you have to be to tame a mythical beast." He said, referring to Anna of course.

"Her name is Anna, not beast." Elsa corrected.

"Oh, sorry." He quickly apologized, not wanting to offend someone he seemed to look up to, or at the very least be amazed by.

"It's alright." Elsa paused for a moment to catch her breath, a question itching its way up her throat. "I'm curious." She began. "What is that on your face?" She asked.

Milo laughed, reaching up and touching the two circles attached to what looked like wire on his face.

"I call them glasses. I invented them. They help those with bad vision to see… well right now they only help me." He said, feeling proud of his invention.

"Really?" Elsa asked.

"Yes. Those with bad eye sight do not need to continue seeing the world as a blur. It takes time, but I'm sure I could fit one onto anyone." He said.

Elsa seemed amazed. "Why become a soldier then? Surely you could make a living selling such things."

Milo blushed for some reason. "I uh… have my own reasons for joining." He said.

Elsa tilted her head curiously. "Reasons you can't share?"

"It's not that I can't… more like its embarrassing. You see there's this girl…" He said, stopping for a moment before gathering the rest of his courage to speak. "She's… amazing. But I know there is no way in a million years that she'd ever notice a guy like me. I'm weak, scrawny, more brain than anything." He flexed a scrawny arm to show his proof. "So, I joined the military. I'm hoping to bulk up, learn to fight and impress her with masculinity." He confessed.

Elsa giggled at that.

"My mother taught me that the best partner is the one you don't have to change for. They will accept you for who you are." Elsa said.

Milo opened his mouth, but quickly shut it as her words sunk in. "That's… that's not bad advice actually." He realized. "But I really want her to like me." He said.

Elsa nodded. "What's her name?" She asked.

"It's beautiful. Her name is Kida." He said.

"Kida, huh?"

That was not Elsa.

Both of the inexperienced soldiers turned to find a blonde woman standing there. She looked mature, older than the both of them. There was a beauty mark beneath her left eye. Her blonde hair tied into a single braid behind her. Elsa noticed she was in a maid outfit.

"O-oh! Helga, hello." Milo said nervously.

"Talking about a beautiful girl named Kida, how sweet." She drawled, looking like another word might make her vomit.

"I never said she was beautiful, just her name… though she is beautiful." Milo said, looking completely love struck.

"Right…" Helga said. "Dr. Sweet is looking for you. He says you missed an appointment. Something about stomach problems?" She looked to him, seeming completely bored, if not angry to be in his presence.

"Oh, of course. um-"

Helga interrupted him. "He went on and on about how you've been farting a lot recently. Something about soft stools and-"

"Hey, look at the time, I have to go!" Milo said.

Despite Kristoff's attempts to stop him, Milo ran off, not hearing a word of it, the poor boy embarrassed beyond belief. Helga smirked, satisfied with her work as she too went to leave. As she did however, she finally caught sight of Anna who had been standing off to the side. The Half-beast girl stared at her, watching her every move. Anna sensed something about her, something that was off in the way she moved. As for Helga, she merely stared back before muttering a quick 'ugh' and leaving.

Kristoff sighed as he realized that the training was now over.

"Well… I guess that's done for now. You're free to go, Larsa." Kristoff said.

"Thank you, for everything Sir Kristoff." Elsa said appreciatively, glad to have had a chance to actually train her swordsmanship.

Kristoff waved her off. "Wear your armor next time, and always carry your sword." He told her. Elsa gave him a nod. "Well, don't let me hold you up. You can go back to whatever you were doing." Kristoff said, adjusting his crutches as he went to leave.

"Goodbye, Sir Kristoff." Elsa called out to him.

He waved over his shoulder.

Elsa walked over to Anna, still excited after her hour of training. "Did you see me, Anna? I'm getting better. Soon I will be protecting you." She said jokingly, but it was a serious goal for her future.

Anna merely made a gruff noise in her throat, but she did smile at Elsa, happy to see her so excited.

Elsa really felt she could do this now. Kristoff had found her a perfect partner. She didn't think there was anyone in the army that was near her horrible level of fighting. Milo however was just as bad as her, maybe even worse. She pretending like she wasn't doing it, but she was counting the victories. She had beaten Milo by three wins. She felt triumphant, like she could really improve and be as good as a knight in combat. She could do this. Soon, she could protect Anna, protect citizens, and most importantly not need to be saved.

She would not be a coward, but rather a soldier.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Another week, another update. Is it weird that I kind of feel bad about having to put these out weekly instead of like every 3-4 days? I don't know. But I've slowed down a lot, so i've spaced it apart to weekly updates. I guess I don't have much else to say except that I can't wait to address you lovely reviewers.

DreamWalker: How long will Elsa's newfound courage last I wonder... Well I know. But i can't tell you.

Nara375: Hey! Don't worry, I knew it was you from your classic greeting. Does Anna know about Elsa's power?... hmm either answer could be spoiling so I won't say. Though, I can at least hint that it won't be too long before you know. Oh man, Rapunzel... she's definitely after something... i wonder what. Also, yes, Anna didn't notice Elsa's mood while eating the chocolate. Hmm. I wonder how this will go in the plot. I don't feel like its too spoiler... but Elsa and Anna may engage in something more physical soon. Whether its what u expect to happen though... we'll see =). As for Helga, i shan't say a word.

Okisawa Hinari: How cruel of me to make you read during work hours. To tell you the truth it was my master plan all along. Soon I will have everyone fired because they are too busy reading my stories. bwahahaha. always nice to see a new reviewer, glad you're enjoying it.

Uzu: Hmm I think i covered that in chapter nine. But basically the leaves and resin that was attached to Elsa ended up healing her of all her wounds. There was a leaf on her face that covered the scratches as well. But no, Elsa, aside from the wound to the shoulder, looks as beautiful as she always has. Don't worry i'm not that mean as to leave her scarred... yet anyway.

Guest: In love with the story, well maybe i'm in love with you... did that sound like a bad pick up line?

That should cover all the reviews. So enough listening to me fawn over reviewers and lets get on with the story!

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Elsa was beat up, there was no other way to really say it. Her body ached as she laid in bed, wondering why she dared to join the army of all things. Elsa had awoken, unable to move, her body sore and overused from all that has happened in the last few days. She had been passing her days by doing nothing but training with Kristoff. If it wasn't sword fighting with Milo, then it was stamina and strength training. This went on all day for four days. It was finally, today, that Elsa awoke so sore that she could do little more than groan on her bed.

"At least my shoulder doesn't hurt the most anymore." Elsa tried to cheer herself up.

Anna was beside her on the bed, enjoying her extra hours of sleep she was acquiring thanks to Elsa being bedridden. The girl was dreaming that she and Elsa were on a hunt for food together. Elsa with her old soldier's armor and spear like the day they met, speaking nonsense to Anna while the Half-Beast sniffed out their prey.

It was a good dream.

Elsa noticed Anna snoring away beside her and felt a pinch of annoyance that the girl got to sleep while Elsa was in pain. Feeling petty, Elsa tried to reach over and nudge at Anna's shoulder to wake her. She would of course pretend it was an accident. Sadly though, she found that moving even the slightest to try and shove at Anna caused her pain and she had to give up. She was forced to watch Anna sleep contently while she suffered.

Elsa looked up at the ceiling and prayed to any deity to relieve her of her suffering.

Her prayers were answered in the form of a knock at the door.

"Oohhh." Elsa groaned as she tried to get up, ultimately deciding to simply fall back flat on her back. "Come in!" She called instead.

The door opened, revealing short blonde hair and a scrawny frame.

"Oh thank goodness I have the right room." Milo said as he entered, smile on his face. "Wow, you live like this?! I imagined you would get special treatment being the Beast-Tamer and all, but this is amazing!" Milo said, immediately moving around Elsa's room as he took a look at everything.

Elsa didn't have the strength to scold him for leaving the door open.

"Hi, Milo." Was all she said.

Milo finally noticed that she was splayed out on her bed on her back, looking absolutely miserable. "Is something wrong?" He then noticed Anna sleeping beside her. "Oh wow, you guys sleep together? That's cool. How did you know when you had garnered enough trust to sleep beside her?" He asked, always curious about Elsa and Anna's relationship.

Elsa shrugged, regretting it as muscles cried out in pain. "Oh… you know… sometimes you just know." Elsa said, looking at the sleeping Anna and growing aggravated again. She thought about telling Milo to wake her up, but she figured she liked him too much to feed to Anna.

"How long does she sleep? Does she sleep more like a cat of some kind? Perhaps she sleeps multiple times throughout the day?" He asked, eager to know more.

"She sleeps like any other person I guess." Elsa told him. "Except she sleeps through just about anything." She commented as an afterthought.

"Does she dream? What sort of dreams does she have?" He asked again.

Elsa sighed slightly. "Milo, was there a reason you came here?" She asked, not trying to be rude, but knowing that these questions could go on forever if you let them. She had spent four days training with the guy after all.

"Oh! Of course. Sorry, I sometimes get carried away with my questions." He said, sounding like he's had this conversation many times in his life. "I came because you didn't come down for training. Sir Kristoff sent me." He explained.

Elsa groaned loudly. "Right… training." She turned her eyes to the ceiling again. "I would if I could, Milo."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't move. My body hurts." She simplified.

Milo nodded in understanding. "Muscle soreness, huh? Yeah I understand." Suddenly his persona changed and he seemed to act like a nerd that was smug about explaining some silly math problem. "Yeah, I get it too. You can be pretty rough out there, but I see I have you beat as well." He sniffled for effect and gave his nose a swipe, as though what he'd done was something truly impressive.

"It's Kristoff's extra training. The running, the constant swinging of my sword… It hurts." Elsa corrected him. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she had bested him in combat more times than he ever did for her.

"Oh right, that." He shuddered, going back to his normal personality. "Have you ever tried taking a hot bath?" He asked. "I mean I have a hard time finding one, but you live in the castle so that should be easy."

Elsa blinked, having never thought of that. She wondered when was the last time she had a hot bath… or even a bath to begin with. She imagined she was beginning to stink something fierce, but no soldier would comment, seeing as they were all sweaty men who barely bathed. She looked to Anna, wondering if Anna noticed her smell and had yet to say something about it.

"Yeah, I'll have to have the maids haul me off to the baths." She rolled her eyes, jesting of course with that idea.

Milo pointed somewhere to her right. "Why don't you use your own bath?"

"My bath?" Her brows furrowed.

"Kristoff said that he had one once before. I'm assuming all of the rooms in this hallway are pretty much the same design wise." He shrugged as he walked over to the door that was beside Elsa's bed. A door that she had been ignoring since getting the room. If Elsa wasn't getting dressed to leave, she was teaching Anna. She never really explored her room much.

Milo opened the door and his face lit up as he turned back to Elsa. "That's a bath alright."

"You jest." Elsa told him.

"I jest not, my good sir. I'm staring at a bath, complete with cloths to wash up with." He said as he looked back inside.

Elsa's eyes widened. "Drag me." She said.

"What?"

"Drag me. I need to see!" Was all she said, desperation in her voice.

Milo shrugged and walked over. He did in fact go to drag Elsa out of bed, but her groaning in pain stopped him.

"Okay… Larsa, don't think into this too heavily, my heart belongs to Kida, okay?" He told Elsa jokingly.

Before Elsa could question it, She found herself being picked up bridal style by the scrawny man.

"Oh hey, you're really light." Milo said, testing the weight in his arms.

"The bath." Elsa didn't care about their position, she wanted to confirm the existence of heaven with her own eyes.

Milo walked over and let Elsa see that yes, there really was a bath in the next room. The bath sat in the middle of the room, rags to wash up with thrown over the lip of the tub. It wasn't the most luxurious bath she'd ever heard of, but it was still the best one she'd ever seen.

"By the gods." Elsa said. "Hurry, call the maids." Elsa continued staring at the tub, afraid that it would disappear if she broke eye contact.

"What would you be needing maids for?" A voice called from the doorway.

Milo turned, and therefore Elsa turned as well to find Ariel at the door.

"Water… I need water." Elsa said.

Ariel merely raised a brow, not only at Elsa's request, but at the sight of what she thought to be two men embracing in such a way.

While Elsa did feel slightly bad about making the maids bring in hot water for the tub, it was mostly overridden by the selfish need to not only cleanse herself, but to soothe her aching muscles. Milo had stayed with her while the maids and a few servants brought in bucket after buckets of hot water for the bath. While Milo mostly tried getting answers out of her that concerned Anna, Elsa would absently answer them while staring at each and every bucket that entered the room, wondering when the tub would be filled. The maids and servants however had done this many times and had managed to get the tub filled in one trip. Elsa was so happy that she barely noticed the way that the servants stepped cautiously into her room, one maid even brandishing a chocolate in her hand. Thanks to Anna's sleeping state, they seemed comfortable enough to walk in and do their duty.

After the maids and servants finished, they each gave a bow and left. All of them in a hurry to escape the potential awakening of Anna. The only one that didn't rush out was Ariel who gave a bow and a smile.

"Your bath is ready. Please, enjoy. Don't hesitate to call on me for such a thing again." Ariel said easily, likely having said this before.

"Thank you, Ariel." Elsa greatly appreciated what had been done.

Ariel exited the room.

"What sort of environment did you find, Anna in?" Milo asked, still sitting on Elsa's bed and asking question after question.

"A forest." Elsa answered. "Um, Milo." Elsa called.

"Yes?" Milo asked, looking ready for more answers.

"The bath is ready." She said.

"Oh, that's good. So, tell me, what did you initially feed her? Was it cooked food or raw animal meat?" He asked.

Elsa would have rubbed at her forehead in exasperation if she was able.

"If you wouldn't mind… I'd like to be alone… to bathe." She told him, each sentence seeming to fly over his head.

A look of realization flashed across his face. "Oh! Right, well I'll see you later Larsa. Maybe tomorrow if you're feeling better." He told her as he stood to leave.

Elsa watched him leave, closing the door behind him.

Her regret was visible as she realized she would now have to crawl to the bathtub. She turned to look at Anna, wondering if she should wake her. The idea of having Anna carry her into the bathroom and help take off her clothes to let her bathe sent a blush of red to her face.

Perhaps that wasn't the best idea. Not that she _cared_ if Anna saw her naked… it just wouldn't be right is all.

Elsa, and her reddening blush, began the painful journey of dragging herself out of bed. Quite literally, she crawled her way out of bed and pulled herself along the ground like some sort of slug. Her legs were absolutely done after the stamina training that Kristoff had given her. The crazy knight had her running for hours, only letting her take breaks when she literally had to stop to puke. She wondered as she crawled, groaning in pain, if the man was out to kill her.

Elsa never noticed snake-like eyes opening at the sound of her grunts and moans.

Elsa pulled herself into the bathroom, even managed to get to the tub. Stripping off her clothes was easier than the crawl, but still just as painful. Once her shirt and trousers were off, the girl had to force herself to stand, unable to pull herself up and over the lip of the tub. Painful as it was, she felt true ecstasy as she dipped her toe into the hot water. The water was way too hot for a normal bath, likely it was supposed to cool off, but Elsa couldn't wait. She dipped her foot in, trying to grow accustomed to the heat.

"Elsa."

The poor blonde yelped at the sound of her name, foot coming down into the slippery slop of the tub. She yelled out in pain as her body submerged into the hot water from the fall.

Anna winced at the shout, her senses already telling her that the water was hot from way over at the doorway. She hadn't meant to startle her, she was only curious as to what was going on. She had already called her name as she entered, barely having the time to blush at the sight of a naked Elsa before the girl tumbled into the waters.

"Anna!" Elsa called out, covering her breasts as she tried to hide in the water. The water burned, but at this point it was too late to get out.

Anna, being ignorant that Elsa wanted privacy, pushed her way through the door and into the room. She marveled at her new surroundings, wondering why the floor was not furry like the rest of the castle. Elsa watched her, thinking about commanding her to leave, but decided against it. Anna was only curious about the new room. Anna skulked around for a moment, almost like she was hunting as she took in the room. Elsa rolled her eyes at the sight, smile on her face as she decided to ignore Anna and enjoy her bath.

And Enjoy it she did.

It was like pure heaven the way the hot water relaxed her aching muscles. She sighed as she dipped as low as she could into the water while keeping her nose out of it to breathe. She realized that she didn't take her hair of its braid, but she was feeling too much pleasure to care. She felt like she was there for hours, however it was only a few minutes before she was interrupted.

The sound of shuffling cloth caught her attention.

Elsa turned just in time to catch sight of a little too much freckled skin.

"Anna! What are you doing?!" Elsa called out, embarrassed as her face caught on fire.

Anna was already half naked, her shirt being ditched and her pants almost gone as well. Elsa turned away when she caught sight of a pair of lips that were not on Anna's face. "Anna, are you crazy?!" She asked.

Anna was in fact not crazy, so much as ignorant to privacy that people like Elsa enjoyed.

Suddenly the water began to rise as more volume was added.

Elsa turned to find Anna dipping a naked foot into the water.

"What?! Anna you can't! you'll never fit, you-"

Her cries fell on deaf ears as Anna forced her way into the tub. This forced Elsa to move her legs up and to bend her knees, but Anna, taking the same position, made herself fit. Elsa's blush was very noticeable, where as Anna did not seem to find anything sexual or far too intimate with this situation. The girl just seemed happy to find hot water.

What Elsa didn't know, was that hot water was a delicacy among Anna's people. They were not smart enough to invent a way to heat water for baths, so instead they bathed in cold lakes and rivers. The few hot baths that were ever used were hot pockets of water that could sometimes be found around the forest. The ones that were found were considered to belong to whomever found it. Anna was not friends with anyone who owned one, not that they really shared. Anna, having never experienced this, had always wondered what it was like.

And now she knew why she once saw a villager duel and kill another villager over the right to use one.

"This is ridiculous." Elsa said, her face still on fire, doing her best to look everywhere but at Anna.

Elsa tried to calm herself. Clearly Anna had not done this in a sexual way. The girl looked like Elsa when she first entered, Anna looked like she was in heaven. Besides… didn't she once try to think of what it would be like to have Anna as a little sister. This would be something they could have done together. She had bathed with her little brothers many times, though they were much too young to remember doing it. She and Anna were both girls, so surely it was okay to do so even as adults. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable to bathe this way, she still had enough room to enjoy the bath.

Elsa sighed as this way of thinking was just not working.

She tried to think of this in another way. Anna was, for all intents and purposes, very animal-like. Wouldn't it be safe for Elsa to think that Anna was thinking along the lines of an animal? Then would it not be okay for her to think of Anna almost like a pet in this situation. The girl didn't talk, she didn't try anything sexual, and Elsa did know that Anna liked her… a lot.

That wasn't helping. Where was she?

Right, Anna was animal-like. Therefore it was okay to, in this situation, consider her an animal. Elsa tried to imagine bathing with a dog, a dog that understood commands a bit better than the one she had as a child that died. Yes, Anna was similar to a dog right now, that was all. She certainly wasn't a gorgeous girl whose exotic features Elsa sometimes liked to dream about.

Wait…

Elsa sighed in frustration as she was unable to think of this bath in a platonic and normal way.

"Elsa?" Anna called.

Elsa turned to look at her.

"What?"

Elsa received a splash of water to the face, leaving the girl shocked and appalled. Anna laughed at the sight, seeming thoroughly proud of herself for that one.

Elsa wiped the water off her face with a wet hand, effectively doing nothing. "This is no time for games, Anna. The bath is a place for washing." Elsa lectured.

She received another wave of water to the face.

"Anna!"  
Another, this time Anna laughing with it.

Elsa, feeling angry, retaliated with her own slap of water. Anna did her best to block it, laughing all the while as she began another assault.

Like a bunch of children, the two threw water at one another, effectively lowering the amount of water in the bath. Eventually they did stop, and Elsa eventually admitted that she thought it was fun. Once Elsa realized that Anna was truly not here to eye her up like a piece of candy, she began to bath with the soap that was set out for her beside the tub. She even gave some to Anna, demonstrating how it was to be applied and washed. Anna took one sniff at the soap and nearly gagged.

Anna much preferred a more natural scent.

Despite her protests, Elsa washed at Anna's hair after washing her own body. The redhead grumbled as she was essentially sitting in Elsa's lap now, forced to have her head washed.

"You'll thank me when your hair is clean." Elsa told her.

A grumble of complaint.

Elsa really felt she had gotten over her intimacy issue with Anna as the girl sat between her legs while she washed her hair.

She thought so anyway.

The two had grown quiet, just enjoying the heat of the bath for nearly fifteen minutes as Elsa idly played in Anna's hair. It wasn't until Anna tried to get more comfortable that Elsa blushed something fierce. Anna pushed back, still between Elsa's legs, until Elsa felt something soft press against a rather private area.

"M-maybe we should get out now." Elsa stuttered, quick to get up, her muscles feeling much better now.

Anna made a curious noise, but was none the wiser as to what happened.

The two left the bath, Elsa deciding to towel off while making sure Anna had her back turned while she too did so. Elsa got dressed and helped dress Anna as well, all the while doing her best not to think about Anna's naked body and just how soft it was. She had expected Anna to be nothing but hardened muscle, which she almost was, but there were certain parts of her that were soft in a feminine way.

Elsa, after much blushing, eventually had them both dressed and had decided to redo Anna's braids considering she had to take them out to wash her hair. While Anna sat in the desk chair, Elsa re-braided her hair, all the while thinking about what just happened. She wondered why she blushed so hard in the face of Anna. They were both girls, there was really no need for all of that. There was something, some naughty thought that scratched at the back of her mind. She tried to ignore it, tried to come up with other reasons. She had never bathed with a girl before, so it was only natural that she was embarrassed. She also had never seen other girls naked before. She and Anna had a set relationship, that, when tested in different ways, could make her embarrassed was all. Maybe it made her feel dirty knowing all of these things while Anna was ignorant to them. She did her best to ignore the thought that was climbing through her mind, trying to get her to admit it existed.

The thought that, maybe, just maybe, Elsa liked Anna a little more than she let on.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Another week, another chapter. Man, I never realized how much writing takes that... creative bug to bite you in the ass. I always figured it was as simple as sitting down and typing it out. Sometimes though, even though you know where things are going or what needs to be written, your fingers just won't type. Weird, I know. But hey, I made my deadline so its all good!

Abel: Yes, the long awaited bathing chapter. I really could have done more with it, but I didn't want to mess up the relationship or move things too fast. Who knows... maybe more baths will come up.

Okisawa Hinari: your excitement made me crack the biggest smile. I would say I hope you enjoyed, But i'm going to take a safe bet and assume you did. glad to know it.

Anon: Possibly the cutest thing I've ever written or will ever write. I actually rewrote that chapter a little bit, in the original she opened the door with no trouble. Glad I changed it.

misconstrued0892: always nice to see a new reviewer with something to say, and boy did you say a lot, in a good way of course. I'm glad you dropped in to give it a read, honestly I don't expect many people to read it, so i'm always happy to see another face in the review section. I hope I manage to maintain your interest.

DreamWalker: Uh oh. Milo is suspicious? Hmm. I wonder what the author has planned for him... Well, i guess we'll never know.

Nara375: Hey! Always nice to see you wondering what will happen next. Elsa should definitely learn to use her power. I wonder though, why doesn't she practice? It's almost like she's scared of it... hmm, If only I knew what the author was thinking. =)

That should cover all of the reviews from this week. As always, ty for your lovely reviews that put smiles on my face with every new one. Now, On with the story!

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Elsa swung out, her blade being stopped with a strike from her opponent. She reared back, a thrust sending her forward. Her opponent dodged, like she expected and she quickly turned the blade, slashing it across his stomach.

"Elsa wins." Kristoff called out.

Elsa smiled as she looked to Milo who was shocked.

"You're getting really good." Milo said, impressed.

"I have a good practice partner." Elsa said easily.

Kristoff ordered the two to take a break, both of them lowering their stances and wooden swords. Milo was quick to begin firing off questions to Elsa, questions that involved Anna mostly. Milo was fast becoming a good friend of Elsa's. She wondered if it was because they were sparring partners that the relationship was growing so fast. She didn't really know, all she knew was that a week and a half of training together had her eager to meet him, whether it be for training or simple talking. She didn't have any friends in the castle, aside from Anna of course. However Anna couldn't fulfill that social need she required, the desire to talk and converse. Milo provided that need, the man loving conversation. Most of the conversation centered around his desire to know more about Anna, but Elsa was fine with that. The only problem was keeping up with the lies about her taming Anna.

"How far along is she in terms of learning English?" Milo asked.

Elsa hummed in thought. "There's still a lot to learn, but the more she learns, the faster it seems to go. She's smart." Elsa admitted, looking to see Anna standing off to the side, watching the training of other soldiers.

"Fascinating." Milo said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Someone else did not find it so fascinating.

"Larsa." Kristoff called, walking up to the two with his crutches. His handling of them had increased, now able to move at a faster pace.

"Yes, Sir Kristoff?" She answered his call.

Kristoff nudged his head to the left. "Let's take a walk. I want to talk." He said, already beginning to move away with his crutches.

Elsa gave Milo a small wave and called Anna who followed her as usual. The three walked away, leaving Milo to practice alone with his wooden sword. Kristoff led Elsa away, walking through the main path of the training grounds to avoid an accident, like losing your life to the stray swing of a sword or arrow. Elsa found herself getting used to the sounds of training. It was almost invigorating. These were the sounds that normally came with her training sessions. It was only natural she associated them with her own training and progress.

"So… Anna still can't understand us?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa looked to him as he walked ahead of them. "For the most part, no." She shrugged. She had been teaching Anna a lot. The girl could identify objects and would sometimes do so, just to try and impress Elsa with her memory. However she still didn't understand sentences that were put together. Elsa was making some progress there, but it would take time.

"Good." Kristoff said, never slowing down with his crutches. "Because we need to talk about your 'pet', Larsa." Kristoff sneered a bit.

"She's not a pet." Elsa defended, already knowing of Kristoff's dislike for Anna.

Kristoff suddenly stopped and leaned in close to her to whisper. "I know that. Remember Larsa, you're not trying to fool me, I already know the truth." He told her.

As he went back to walking, Elsa realized that she had in fact forgotten that she told Kristoff the truth the day Anna was saved from the gallows. He was the only person in the kingdom who knew that Elsa was no beast tamer and was in fact a fraud. She had no real control over Anna, the only control she had was the control that Anna gave. It scared her for a moment that he might tell others, but she realized that it had been some time since his learning of it and he had yet to tell anyone. Sir Kristoff kept her secret, though it seemed he did not enjoy doing it.

Well… at least he still thought she was a boy.

"Why do you have such a hard time accepting Anna? Others have accepted her. The maid who comes to our floor is very accepting of Anna." Elsa had a few others that she knew of as well. People such as Milo or Dr. Sweet seemed to have no problem with Anna.

"Oh I don't know." Kristoff said casually before suddenly turning his anger on Elsa once more. "Maybe because she tried to kill me on the battlefield."

Elsa did in fact remember that. "She was only riled up. She doesn't understand war yet. She didn't hurt you."

"She tried. The only reason she stopped was because you got in the middle." Krsitoff said, not understanding why Elsa could not see his point. "She's a wild animal."

"She is not." Elsa hissed. "She saved you from the demon."

"She saved_you_ from the demon. She tried to turn on me. Who else will she turn on in the heat of battle. In case you've forgotten we are at war. No one should have to worry about soldiers on their side going wild with blood lust and turning on them." He told her, feeling his points were rather justifiable.

"You were aggressive with her. I saw the way you walked up to her. Don't put it all on Anna." Elsa clearly remembered the situation. She refused to validate any of his points when all of them could be flushed down the drain thanks to his aggressive march on her from before.

"You really can't see, can you?" He asked somewhat in disbelief. "What will it take? For her to hurt you? Well I'll tell you something Larsa. It won't be a little bit of pain when she does. You think that weak stab to your shoulder hurt, just imagine her claws rendering you apart." He harshly said, wanting to make sure that point was driven home.

Elsa nearly shuddered at the thought of an angry Anna directed her way.

"She… She would never hurt me." Elsa said.

Kristoff stared at her for a moment. "I hear that same thing a lot in relationships between people. If there's one thing I've learned, its that people will eventually hurt one another. The difference is that most of the time when people hurt one another, they can make up for it or forget about it." He looked to Anna who had been staring at him the entire time. "The problem with your beast is that the type of hurt she'll do will either be permanent, or it will see you to the afterlife." He said.

Elsa just glared at him, wondering where he got off telling her what Anna would and wouldn't do. He didn't _know_ Anna like Elsa did. Anna would never harm her. She knew this since the escape from the village and it was only solidified more when Anna's face turned to horror when Elsa ripped her arm away from her during the battle and cut herself on Anna's claws. The girl, despite not being the one to harm Elsa, had looked like she had committed the most heinous of acts and regretted it.

Anna would not harm her, of that, Elsa was certain.

"This conversation is clearly going no where if you cannot see Anna as anything other than a monster." Elsa told him.

Kristoff shook his head with a sigh, realizing that Elsa was just as stubborn as he was about this. He gave a small wave back from where they came. "Go back to training with Milo, you'll need your swordsmanship if you ever hope to stand a chance when she turns on you." And that was all he had to say as he walked off, crutches clacking away at the ground.

Elsa thought to say something at his back, but refrained. Instead she turned and walked away back towards Milo.

"What did he want?" Milo asked when Elsa returned.

"Nothing." Elsa growled as she picked up her wooden sword. "Shall we continue?" She asked.

Milo gulped at the sight of a clearly upset Elsa.

The training went on, Elsa blows coming a bit harder thanks to her mood. Over the next thirty minutes she would best Milo several times, leaving the poor guy to rub at the parts she had hit when the bout was over. He barely had time to assess the growing pain as Elsa was ready to start again. Sure, Milo won a few, but Elsa clearly was the better swordsman at the moment. Kristoff really wasn't kidding when he said that Milo had no experience. Neither did Elsa of course, but she seemed to pick it up faster than he did.

A blow to Milo's chest before, "I do believe that round goes to Milo." Someone called out.

Elsa turned with confusion to see a man she was familiar with. It took her but a few seconds to recognize the same knight that had once helped to save Anna at the gallows.

"Sir knight!" Elsa called out happily.

"I realize that I never gave my name during our last sighting with one another. Forgive my rudeness. I am Sir Gaston. To my friends, I am but Gaston." He told her kindly, flashing that handsome smile as he stepped a bit closer to Milo and Elsa now that they were not training.

"Sir Gaston. I am truly grateful for what you did for Anna that day." Elsa gave a bow, thinking it appropriate when in the presence of a knight and someone she was truly appreciative of.

"Think nothing of it. I only did what any honorable knight would do." Gaston said easily.

"I still thank you." Elsa said.

Gaston laughed at this. "Perhaps then you will honor me with a favor returned if it will clear your conscious."

Elsa was quick to nod, anything for the man who saved Anna from death.

"How about a quick duel? It seems to me you two are in need of more lessons." He questioned, looking between them both for a moment before stopping on Elsa.

"Me? Duel you? Oh no… I would not be a worthy opponent." Elsa said nervously.

Gaston shook his head. "Surprises come from anywhere. As a soldier, you will learn that." He told her.

"What did you mean by we need more lessons? I noticed earlier that you said I won, when Larsa clearly struck a killing blow to my chest." Milo finally said something, seeming as though he had been pondering this question the entire time.

Gaston gave a small nod. "Indeed you did." He put his hand out. "Your sword please." He asked for Milo's weapon, which was given to him. Gaston twirled the wooden sword with finesse, looking completely comfortable with it. "The truth of the matter is that you beat Larsa four moves ago." He then brought the blade to Elsa's leg and gave it a small tap. "You hit him here with enough force to sever a leg, not injure it. Besides, had you truly injured the leg, the fight would have most certainly had a different outcome. The amount of force and speed with which Larsa swung would not have been so powerful due to his wounded leg. Most of your power comes from your right leg, Larsa. Did you know this? It varies from person to person depending on their fighting style, however you lean into your right leg a lot." He told them both, having clearly watched the entire match before deciding to speak up.

Elsa was amazed. Had he really gotten all that information from a brief duel. Sir Kristoff said things like this, but never had he broken down Elsa's fighting style like this. Kristoff focused more on fixing posture and making sure your strikes were not wasted. He never told Elsa that she was using her right leg for everything.

"Hmm." Milo hummed. "I wonder how many more of these duels I would have won if I noticed things like this." He grinned at Elsa, thinking that perhaps he was not as bad as he initially thought.

"Not many." Elsa was quick to cue in, smile on her face telling him that it was all in good fun.

"Alas I did not see but the last duel you just did." He stepped away and brandished the wooden blade. "Now, about that duel. Perhaps I could show you a few things." Gaston asked, raising an eyebrow. He did not seem to be pressuring Elsa into doing it, but merely offering a kind suggestion.

Elsa quelled her nerves and gave a nod, getting into her stance that she normally took with Milo.

Anna watched on with narrowed eyes, her legs tense as though ready to spring into action.

"Your legs are too close together." Gaston began.

Before Elsa could even begin to try and straighten her posture, Gaston was already charging at her, blade at the ready. She tried to defend, but he easily saw through her and sliced straight at her legs. She winced, expecting pain, but found none. Gaston had stopped the blade before it struck true.

"With your legs too close, you are unable to move the way you need to, leaving you wide open for an attack." He backed off again. "Now, show me how you swing. Do not worry about hurting me, the armor is more than for show." He told her.

Hurting him would have been a miracle with all of that heavy armor. However Elsa found that hitting him in general would have been a true accomplishment as he parried all of her swings, sending her nearly tumbling to the ground multiple times. She had no idea how he did that. One flick of the sword and Elsa lost all of her balance, leaving her wide open for attacks that he did not do.

"You put too much weight into your attacks. You think that because I have such heavy armor, you will need a ton of force to pierce it." He told her, almost like he was reading her mind.

"Is this not true?" Elsa questioned as she backed off and tried to fix her stance, she was already breathing heavy. Her earlier training with Milo not helping her stamina right now.

Gaston gave a hearty chuckle. "True it is. But when your opponent knows exactly what you're going to do, you must change it up."

Gaston went at her, his arm up to come down with a slash. Elsa instantly put her blade up to block, only to have him lift up his boot and kick at her, He did not connect, seeing as he was not close enough, but Elsa understood what he was trying to teach.

"Your sword is not your only weapon."

Elsa nodded and suddenly slashed out at him, Gaston was quick, his reflexes over years of training kicked in to have him block her blow.

Elsa smiled. "Expect the unexpected?" She asked, proud to land a blow that had finally been blocked instead of parried.

Gaston blinked, but soon he was laughing. "That, Larsa, is the most important lesson. Who is it that taught you that?" Gaston asked as he threw the wooden sword back to Milo who clumsily caught it.

"Sir Kristoff." She answered.

Gaston nodded at that. "Sounds like the first thing he would teach." Gaston turned to leave. "If Sir Kristoff is providing you with lessons then there is little reason for me to teach you as well. That being said, I must go. I simply saw the two of you training and decided to drop in." Gaston said.

"Thank you for your teaching Sir Gaston." Elsa gave another bow.

"Alas it was not much. Please, continue to train." And with that he left.

Elsa watched him go, looking completely star struck. Not only was he a kind knight who saved Anna, but also one who stopped for a moment to teach her. Sir Gaston was truly a great man. She thought this as she got into position with Milo again to continue practicing. She felt refreshed now, ready for more, ready to train and get better.

Anna did not share her views on Sir Gaston.

Anna had watched the man go, had noticed how he never made eye contact with her, yet it always felt like he was staring at her out of the corner of his eye. The man was some sort of snake, some sort of trickster. Anna could tell. While Elsa was fooled by his desire to train her, Anna saw it for what it really was. The man was flaunting his ability, showing it off to the more inexperienced. He was looking for praise, looking to shine bright among those weaker than him. Anna wanted nothing more than to challenge him and put him in his place. Something was off about him, that, Anna was sure of. She would not fight him however.

No, she would not take away Elsa's happy smile as she tried to imitate Sir Gaston in her duel against Milo.

The training did eventually have to end. Once Milo and Elsa grew so tired that they were sure they were doing more harm than good, they decided to call it a day and get something to eat. Milo offered for Elsa to join him in the mess hall, something she gladly accepted. Truthfully she had been eating in the mess hall with Milo for a few days now. It felt more comfortable for her. Whenever she had to take meals in the castle, she only felt bad for calling the maids and having them bring food to her. She was already using them too much she felt, seeing as she had them bring in water for the bath nearly every day.

The two left the training grounds, entering the castle's mess hall in the basement floor. The mess hall was large, and it had to be to feed so many soldiers that came in on a daily basis. The kitchens were closed off, but Elsa imagined they were huge as well with bustling activity as the servants and cooks tried to fill every order. Elsa and Milo both ordered their food at the counter and waited like they usually did. While there were servants that could bring food to the table, it was always safer to get your food at the counter. It was common for servants to mix up orders or deliver to the wrong table. Elsa took a look around as she waited, looking at the many tables with drunken soldiers jabbering away with tales of battle or fun. The place was lit with several torches and candles, making it not so hard to navigate around. The walls were stone, same as the floor. It made Elsa feel better to be in such a modest environment rather than her castle room. Things felt more realistic here. Or to put it in another way, it felt like the kind of place Elsa deserved to be in. She didn't deserve a fancy room in the castle just because of Anna. She was a soldier, one who should have the same rights as the others.

She wouldn't complain about the bath though.

Their food arrived, Anna's plate looking extra big thanks to the girl's appetite. Seeing as this wasn't the first time Elsa came here, the cooks had learned that Anna could eat quite the hearty meal. Speaking of Anna, most soldiers were too drunk or too into their conversations to really care that she was walking around. Sure, most were still scared, but there were a few sometimes who would ask Elsa questions about Anna. It usually consisted of her diet, but Elsa was always quick to assure them that she did not enjoy humans.

Elsa and Milo were about to take a seat at an empty table, when someone called out Milo's name rather loudly. Milo smiled at the voice, spotted who it was, and began to walk over, inviting Elsa to join of course. Elsa saw no reason not to and walked over with him. The table they went to only contained three people. One of them she instantly recognized.

"Dr. Sweet?" Elsa questioned at the sight of him, her shoulder remembering the pain of his stitching.

"Well, look who it is, and he's even brought company." Dr. Sweet said happily, noticing Anna walking behind her with her own plate of food. "Gotta tell ya, it does my heart good to see her with her own plate. I'd hate to be snapped at again." he said in good fun, the man really seeming to have no problem with Anna.

Milo and Elsa took a seat at the table, Anna of course taking a seat beside Elsa. She eyed everyone up for a moment before deciding they were no threat at the moment and digging into her meal.

"Wow. Do you see her teeth? It reminds me of a piranha." One man drawled, his hair being shaved on the sides while the top was free to grow.

"I think she is beautiful." A shorter man said, his buckteeth standing out to Elsa.

"Yeah. Good luck with that. I'm sure she'll savor you with a nice white wine, I think." He told him.

Milo suddenly realized he'd forgotten something. "Oh, introductions. This is Vinny." Milo pointed to the man with the shaved sides to his head, the one who spoke in a drawl. "He's in my squadron, same as Mole over there." He introduced the second man as well.

"Mole?" Elsa questioned.

"Yeah." Milo said, ignorant to why she would ask for his name again.

"What did he do to get a name like that?" Elsa questioned, not believing for a second that it was his real name.

"Trust me on this one. You don't wanna know." Dr. Sweet spoke up, frown on his face as he looked to Vinny. "Vinny, Don't tell him. You shouldn't have told me, but you did." He looked back to Elsa. "And now I'm telling you, you don't wanna know." Dr. Sweet said with finality as he went back to eating.

Vinny shrugged his shoulders as Elsa looked to him. "You can be daring if you want to. I'll tell you though, you're gonna want to hear it before you eat lunch, seeing as you might lose it." He told her, eyebrow raising in challenge, daring her to ask him about Mole.

Elsa decided that she didn't want to know.

There was a silence for a moment as the sound of the soldiers at other tables filled the room. Well, that and the sound of Anna brutally cutting away to make large portions of meat to stuff in her gullet.

Vinny stared at the gruesome display for a moment before it seemed to remind him of something.

He looked to Dr. Sweet. "You know, she reminds me of your ex-wife. She had quite an appetite on her too."

You would think that The Doctor had heard the greatest joke of all time with the way he laughed.

Elsa was now wondering just what his ex wife was like as she seemed to recall Dr. Sweet making a comparison as well.

Elsa found it surprisingly easy to get comfortable at the table. With both Milo and Dr. Sweet, it seemed easy to convince the other two that Anna was no harm. It helped that Anna was preoccupied with her own plate and not interested in anyone at the moment. Elsa had been worried about meeting other people with Anna following her around, but it seems people were having an easier time adjusting now that she had been seen walking around the castle and training grounds with Anna more.

Even after all of their plates had been finished, including Anna, they all stayed to continue talking. Elsa learned that Dr. Sweet was in fact good friends with Milo and the two at the table. There was apparently another girl that normally got along with them named Audrey, however it seems she was not here right now. She was supposedly a part of the kitchen staff. She also learned that Vinny had a taste for gunpowder and all things involving explosions. Why? Well she wasn't sure, he mentioned something about a boom and laundry. Mole had been very quiet, most of his time was spent staring at Anna. Elsa almost thought it was cute that he had developed some sort of crush on her instantly.

Elsa knew he had no chance however.

"Seeing her full, puts me at ease, just saying." Vinny commented, watching as Anna contently rubbed at her full stomach while leaning back with her eyes closed.

"On that, we can agree." Dr. Sweet spoke up.

"She's not so bad guys. I've spent days with Larsa and she mostly just stands there looking uh… strong?" He tried, looking to Elsa for help.

"She's only bad if you rile her up." Elsa told them all.

"What exactly does riling up entail?" Vinny asked.

Elsa shrugged. "I am her master, so threatening me is a quick and easy way." Elsa said, having to keep up with the lie that she tamed Anna.

Vniny nodded at this. "You must have an easy time on the battlefield then." He commented, not in a mean way, but simply as a comment.

Elsa took it a bit differently, though she knew how he really meant it. It hurt to know that she indeed relied on Anna for everything when it came to fighting. If Anna hadn't taken a liking to her, then she would have been dead before she ever even reached Anna's village. She tried to deflect the thoughts with the knowledge that she was training to get stronger. She wouldn't need Anna forever and soon maybe even _she _could protect Anna.

"As her master, you must know of her personal tastes. Tell me, do I have a chance?" Mole asked, speaking for the first time to Elsa.

Elsa decided to avoid that question.

After awhile, both Milo and Elsa left the table. The others deciding to go back to their respective jobs or posts as well. Milo was such a low soldier on his squad that he was basically given free reign to do whatever he wanted, seeing as he was rarely called upon. This gave him time to hang around Elsa and train with her so much. Elsa sure wasn't complaining, finding it nice to have another friend besides Anna to talk to. The two were walking outside, through the training field. No plans to train really, but with no destination in mind, they let their feet decide for them.

"So, how did you like my friends?" Milo asked.

"Quirky, but fun." Elsa told him easily.

"I think we all have our quirks. I mean…" He cut himself off on purpose, jabbing a thumb towards Anna to tell of Elsa's particular quirk.

Elsa laughed. "Yes, I suppose."

"I've got other friends I can introduce you to sometime. Maybe even help Anna to make some friends." Milo said.

Now that sounded pleasant to Elsa's ears.

"Yes, I would like that." Elsa said as she looked to the side to find Anna walking alongside her, looking around.

She looped her fingers into Anna's hand, gathering the girl's attention for a moment. At first Anna said nothing, but she gave a small smile and a soothing growl before looking off again to look at the surroundings. Elsa wondered what sort of friends Anna could make. Ariel seemed like one, but so far it was hard to tell how Anna truly felt about her. It seemed that whenever Ariel came around, Anna was more expecting chocolate than the girl's presence. Perhaps that should be her next goal.

Maybe Anna could use a friend besides herself.

She didn't know that Anna would indeed find a friend, someone who would gift Anna with something that was invaluable to her.

"The famous Gypsy is in town." Ariel said.

It was the next day, Elsa having just been awoken by Ariel. Elsa had given Ariel instructions some days ago to wake her up at the same time every morning if possible. She wanted to get used to these early wake up calls she was getting. Being a soldier and having training to do, it seemed like a good idea.

"What?" Elsa asked, frowning a bit as she stretched her arms after being woken up.

"There's a famous gypsy known for her fortune telling and magic." Ariel seemed excited. "They say she knows everything about the future and that she is willing to tell you your future or solve your problems for a small fee."

"What's a gypsy?" Elsa asked.

"They are people who travel around. I hear they are most noted for fortune telling, however this gypsy also knows magic." Ariel was practically bouncing on the spot.

Elsa reached over and roughly shook a snoring Anna. There was a snort and grumbling as Anna woke up, hair looking a right mess since Elsa decided to take her braids out last night.

Ariel giggled. "A lovely morning to you, Anna." She said, doing her best not to laugh at the sight.

"Hello, Ariel." Anna responded, not understanding the other redhead, but at least knowing how to greet her.

"Can the gypsy really tell the future?" Elsa asked, somewhat intrigued.

"I hear she has never been wrong about anything. She's famous for a reason." Ariel said. "I'm going to get a reading later with some of the other maids once we are off duty."

Elsa nodded. "I see. Well, thank you for the wake up call, Ariel." Elsa thanked her.

Ariel gave a bow before leaving, her excited footsteps being heard down the hall as she wanted to hurry and finish up her rounds so that she could leave.

Elsa looked to Anna.

"Want to go see a gypsy?" Elsa asked.

Anna just stared at Elsa, looking tired and comical with her lion's mane.

"Me too." Elsa said, yawning.

It took awhile to leave, seeing as Elsa had to fight with the beast that was Anna's hair. She somehow managed though, having experience in this fight and having defeated the monster before. She felt rather proud of her time as she tied Anna's hair into braids. She even had her own hair done, letting Anna brush at her hair until Elsa decided it had been long enough. She placed her own hair into a single braid, tossed it over her shoulder, and was ready to leave.

The two left the castle, heading towards the plaza. Ariel had not told her where the gypsy was, however Elsa had heard two maids conversing over the matter in the halls. Apparently the gypsy set up shop somewhere in the plaza. At first Elsa assumed she might be hard to find, however it turned into the opposite. As Elsa entered the plaza, she found a long line that led to a modest sized, but very glamorous looking tent. Elsa had no trouble getting into the back of the line, especially seeing as she had Anna wearing her cloak again. The most she had to deal with was the wait and the chatter among the peasants in line.

She must have stood in line for at least an hour before it was finally her and Anna's turn. She entered the tent with Anna, finding that the inside was just as small as she imagined.

"I normally only read one person at a time, but something tells me you two are connected in a way that will not allow this." The gypsy on the other side of a crystal ball said to Elsa. The large hood over her head leaving Elsa to try and picture her face based off of her voice. Which she had to admit sounded lovely.

She took note that the gypsy actually looked to _her _instead of Anna. Almost as if she knew Anna couldn't speak.

Elsa had been skeptical the entire time, but she figured it could have been fun to take Anna out to do something. Elsa thought the idea of fortune telling was ridiculous, that magic in general just did not exist.

Her ice begged to differ.

With the gypsy wearing a long cloak and her hood up, the only thing visible were her darker skinned hands.

"Um… I heard you could-"

"Tell the future? Do a bit of magic? Yes, yes. I do it all, snowflake."

Elsa nearly choked at the name. It was something her mother called her when she was very young.

"H-how did you-"

"Know what your mother called you so very long ago? It's my job dear." The gypsy chuckled.

Elsa decided to challenge her. "Then you know exactly what I want then." Elsa said, lifting her chin to show something… pride maybe? Defiance? She didn't know, she just didn't like the idea of the gypsy knowing everything while she knew nothing.

The gypsy held out a hand. "And you know what I want." She said easily.

Elsa reached into her pocket and procured a few coins. She just so happened to have them after making bets with Milo on the outcome of several duels. She lost some, but she won more. This reminded her that she should probably get some of that money that she normally sends to her family.

The gypsy took her coins, weighed them and smiled beneath her hood.

"Not my normal price I charge, but since you're so gracious as to give a few coin extra, I see no reason not to give you something extra as well." The gypsy smiled.

Elsa almost grew angry and demanded her change, however part of her was curious for some reason.

"For what you have given me, I shall give you some special advice."

The gypsy put her hands on the crystal ball, smoke billowing inside of it. She rubbed away at it for a few seconds before humming in thought.

"My first piece of advice is not to take things at face value… for example I don't need this ball." She lifted the ball up and off the table, revealing that under it was some mechanism that created smoke. "It's for effect, dear." She smiled.

Elsa was about to demand her money back.

"My second piece of advice, the last and most important…" She looked to Anna. "One day you're going to need this girl for something, something important. She will fail you… my advice is to not let your heart control your actions." She told Elsa, though her eyes stayed on Anna.

Elsa furrowed her brows. Anna? Fail her? The thought seemed ridiculous. Anna seemed capable of doing anything. Besides… what would Elsa trust her with besides something of combat? Anna wouldn't fail in combat. The gypsy said it was important, but what important task would Elsa ever give to Anna?

"Now… For the fun part." The gypsy actually reached over and removed Anna's hood. "No need to hide yourself, young one. If I was afraid of what you'd do to me today, I would have not set up shop to begin with." She said kindly.

Anna simply stared. She felt no aggression from this woman and decided to show none back. There was something about her, something familiar. It was something she felt with Elsa everyday.

"You… know of Anna?" Elsa asked.

"Have we not already established that I know both of you and everyone who steps into my tent." Then the gypsy removed her own hood.

Elsa watched as black hair spilled out over chocolate colored skin. Huge green eyes stared back, along with thick and dark brows.

"This is just so that our young friend feels more comfortable." Then the gypsy turned to Anna. "To you I will give no future readings, seeing as you don't care for it. I will give you a gift though, a small one, one you can manage without losing your mind." Then the gypsy stared at Anna.

There was silence for a good ten seconds.

"Um..." Elsa began.

"She's hungry." The gypsy told Elsa.

"What?"  
"She's hungry. The two of you never had breakfast before coming." She looked back to Anna. "Yes, I agree, she can be thoughtless sometimes."

Elsa watched as Anna's eyes widened, the girl leaning forward more, as if in disbelief.

"That's right." The gypsy said.

"Elsa! Elsa!" Anna suddenly called, fingers pointing at the gypsy.

The gypsy laughed a good laugh. "That's a fun reaction."

Elsa furrowed her brows as Anna began to pull at her, pointing to the gypsy, trying to express something to Elsa.

"What did you do?" Elsa asked the gypsy, her defensiveness for Anna starting to kick in.

The gypsy waved a hand. "A sprinkle of magic, you know the kind." And the way the gypsy said that was enough to assure Elsa that the gypsy did in fact know about her ice.

"Why is she acting like this." Elsa asked, still being pulled on by Anna in what she was beginning to learn was excitement.

"Wouldn't you be excited if you finally met someone who understood you." She looked to Anna again. "Don't pull on her, I'm letting her know what's going on."

And like magic, Anna let go of Elsa and gave her full attention to the gypsy.

"You… you understand Anna?" Elsa looked completely confused. "But she hasn't said anything."

"We don't need words with this way of communication. I'm only talking so that you can follow along." The gypsy told her. She looked to Anna. "Oh calm down, I'm still paying attention to you."

"What is she saying?!" Elsa asked, now she too needed to know, her excitement at the idea of understanding Anna was something she didn't realize she would have so much of.

The gypsy turned her eyes to Elsa. "A lot. Poor girl has had no way to express herself for a long time. If it eases your mind, half of it is about you." Then she turned her eyes back to Anna.

Elsa felt something strange in her stomach. Butterflies. Anna was talking about her? Anna was thinking about her? The thought shouldn't have been shocking. Anna spent all day with Elsa, it would make sense that she would talk about Elsa.

Still, she nearly blushed at the thought.

"Okay, calm down young one. I've got other customers to attend and you two have taken up too much time already." Then the gypsy turned to Elsa. "My final gift is more an extension of the one for our young friend. This is less for you and more for her, but i'm sure you'll appreciate it." Then the gypsy flicked her hand at Elsa. "I'm sprinkling you with magic dust, do not be offended." The gypsy said, smile on her face telling Elsa that this was more for effect, rather than her actually doing anything with her hand. She turned back to Anna. "There. You two go have fun now, it will take effect soon. Remember though, it will not last forever."  
Anna seemed to be communicating more.

"Ugh! Enough. You're such a chatter box. Yes, It will work on her, now go." The gypsy demanded.

Anna suddenly lunged at the gypsy, forcing the woman into a hug. Elsa watched, fascinated at the display of Anna hugging someone without being hugged first.

The gypsy rolled her eyes, patting a hand on Anna's back.

"Yes, yes. I'm your friend now. I get it. Now please, go." She said, trying to sound fed up, but Elsa could see the cracking of a smile on her face.

Elsa decided to show a bit of mercy.

"Stop, Anna. We're leaving." She commanded, standing up as much as she could in the small tent that had forced them to sit down once inside.

Anna obeyed, a big smile on her face as she exited the tent with Elsa.

"Well… that was something. I wish we could have talked with her longer, it would have been nice to know what you were actually saying." Elsa said as they began to walk away towards the castle.

Anna was staring intensely at Elsa.

"What?" Elsa asked once she realized.

Elsa suddenly felt as though something were tickling her mind before,

_Elsa_.

Elsa looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

_Elsa. Look._

Elsa looked around again. For a moment she thought she was going mad. That is until she looked at Anna, the girl's face still looking intensely at her, as though she were waiting for something.

_Elsa. Me. Me. Elsa._

Elsa realized the voice was feminine, the quality of it sounded like it could maybe even belong to…

"Anna?" She asked skeptically, looking like she didn't believe it.

Anna's face lit up.

_Elsa! Elsa! Me! Hear me?! Me!"_

Elsa suddenly began to feel lightheaded. She reached up and touched her head as the words continued, closing her eyes to try and gain some focus.

_Elsa! Me! Look! Me!_

"Stop it, Anna. You're making me dizzy." She paused as the words left her lips. Something in her mind had already figured it out, but Elsa still didn't believe. "You… you're making me dizzy. You… Anna?" She looked to Anna.

_Me! Elsa, hear me!__ Me__ speak! Elsa!_

Elsa stared with wide eyes, her head feeling dizzy, but the message being clear.

She could hear Anna. She could understand Anna.

"Anna… is that really you?" She questioned aloud.

Anna's face was so bright that Elsa feared the girl might tackle her in a hug, unable to contain her emotions.

_Me! Me hear Elsa! Me speak! Elsa speak! Me Hear!_

Elsa just stood in disbelief. The gypsy really had given a gift to the both of them.

The gift of communication.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Another chapter, though this one isn't so long, I promise that the next chapter will be a lengthy one though. I've been slowing down, but I've been writing one shots in the meantime to try and keep myself writing. Anyway, I can assure you that next week there will be another chapter... beyond that... I'm not totally sure. I'm trying to keep up the weekly updates so I hope I can pull through for you guys. But enough about my writing schedule, lets get on to you guys and your lovely reviews.

Guest (1): It would be nice if Elsa can learn a lot from Anna. Elsa has come a long way from her original view of Anna... but is it so easy to shake off Anna's background? Guess we'll have to find out. I'll make sure to tell the author to hurry up and get to the good stuff!

Guest (2): Thanks for the advice, it really was very nice. I've been trying to continue to write everyday, just to make sure I don't stop. I have a bad habit of stopping with my writing completely if I stop for even two days. Glad you're enjoying the story by the way, words like this keep me going.

Nara375: Hey! As per usual you have a lot of speculation. I love it! I feel its okay to tell you that it was indeed Esmeralda that played the gypsy. It was never meant to be hidden, so much as I just saw no reason for her to introduce herself. As for Anna and Elsa's future problem that will be waiting for them... The only thing I can say is that Anna will indeed fail Elsa. As always its lovely to see your review of each chapter. I hope to keep you entertained.

Okisawa Hinari: I actually managed to spell your name without double checking the review page this time. Don't worry, your English is fine, I wasn't aware there was anything wrong with it. I love that your so excited! Makes me happy to post another chapter.

TheKpopGirl: Always nice to see a new reviewer. Glad you're enjoying the story. Better than other stories though? Well don't you know how to make an author blush. Thank you for that.

DreamWalker: No need to wait my friend, here you go! As always, nice to see your review. Sorry for the shorter chapter =( the next one will be longer.

Darratato: Oh boy, where do I begin? Well I first saw your review on my One shot I posted and was very happy to hear a nice comment about it. Then you quickly ran over to my main story and began to review every chapter. I was actually awake and talking with a friend over steam as you reviewed. I was checking back every ten-twenty minutes just to see if you left another review. It made me very happy to see your opinion of each chapter. I'm glad you were entertained and more glad to know that you're still interested. Just know that you made my day or, rather night, when you began your string of reviews.

I do believe that covers everyone. As always, thank you for the awesome reviews. I won't talk your ear off anymore though. On with the story!

* * *

"Slow down, Anna. It hurts my head when you talk too much." Elsa said, holding her head to further her point.

S_orry… Happy. Me happy. Speak Elsa._

As Elsa found out, the gypsy really had worked real magic on both herself and Anna. She gave the both of them a way to communicate with one another. So far Elsa had been testing the connection, trying to figure out how it worked, what the side effects were, and why it was possible. What she had figured out was that whatever this power was, it wasn't meant to be used in large doses. Whenever Anna began to ramble, too many words coming at once, Elsa's head would begin to hurt and she'd start to lose focus. It seemed to be some sort of mind linking between the two of them, Elsa being able to hear any thoughts that Anna directed towards her and vice versa. Elsa found out however that she could speak aloud, so long as she was directing it towards Anna, then Anna would understand. She also figured out that they were not exactly hearing the same thing. While she didn't know exactly what Anna heard, she knew that Anna didn't hear English words like Elsa did. Also, just because they were linked, did not mean Anna suddenly had a huge grasp on English. She talked in a primitive way, using small sentences and most of the time it was a feeling that Elsa got that let her know what Anna was saying, as though she and Anna would become one for a moment and Elsa understood her.

That was a great way to put it… it was like becoming one with one another.

"It's okay, Anna. Just don't say too much at a time." Elsa told her.

Currently the two were in the castle, in Elsa's room to be exact. Both were standing in the room, trying to figure out the way the communication worked. Well, Elsa was trying. Anna was just excited to finally be able to properly talk with her. Elsa had never seen the girl so giddy, it almost made Elsa forget that she could rip a man to pieces if she wanted.

_Beautiful woman good. Make me talk. Make Elsa talk. Exciting!_

Elsa visibly frowned. "Beautiful?"

There was a chuckle in her mind before, _Elsa much beautifuller._

Elsa coughed loudly, embarrassed as she turned around, cheeks beginning to blaze. "I-I wasn't fishing for compliments. Besides, I don't care if you think she is beautiful." A lie.

There was another laugh. _Elsa funny._

Elsa turned to her, trying to look upset. "Enough about me. We should be figuring out what this… _link_ between us is."

Now it was Anna's turn to frown. _Elsa not happy? No like speak me?_

_ "_Of course I like speaking with you." Then she let something slip that she meant to keep in. "It's all I've wanted for awhile now."

While Elsa felt embarrassed about that last bit, Anna looked reassured, smiling at Elsa.

_Be happy. How not matter. Is mystery. Like you._

Elsa chuckled. "You think I'm a mystery? I'm an open book." Not that Elsa could read.

Anna shook her head. _Not that. Is mystery. Like ice. You ice. _

Elsa looked surprised. "You… know about that?" She questioned.

Anna nodded. _See once. See twice._ She admitted.

Elsa was surprised by that. She had thought that perhaps Anna had seen the ice the second time around, but to find out she remembered the first time Elsa used it was surprising. She was sure that Anna hadn't seen her that time. As for the second time, she never thought that Anna would have linked it to her.

While Elsa was thinking about this, Anna walked up and took one of her hands, interlocking their fingers.

_No care for ice. Only Elsa. Me care Elsa. No ice. Only Elsa._ She explained, thinking Elsa might have been worried about keeping it a secret from her.

Elsa blushed at their proximity.

"Yes… well I'm glad." Elsa said as she took her hand back as discreetly as she could and took a step back.

Elsa could feel it through the link, that Anna was too blinded with… _feelings _to notice how embarrassed and awkward she made Elsa at times.

This was another thing Elsa noticed. Anna didn't seem to catch onto Elsa's feelings through the link. Anna only seemed to hear her words for the most part, or any feelings that helped her to hear the words. Anna however seemed to go full force with the link, displaying her heart and everything she had to Elsa. Elsa concealed however, not wanting to show so much to Anna. If Elsa ever did doubt Anna's feelings, then she sure couldn't now. It was clear as day. The girl liked her beyond friendship, wanted more than friendship, though it seems she didn't exactly know what that entailed. Elsa wondered why her own feelings did not go through the link. She could only guess that it was because she didn't want Anna to know, that and she had years of practicing when it came to concealing feelings.

It almost made her feel bad with how open Anna was about her own feelings.

Elsa noticed nervousness coming through the link. She noticed that Anna began to look away from her, as if she were about to ask something terrible.

_Now we talk. Can question? _Anna asked.

Anna was nervous about asking questions? Elsa almost laughed. It was kind of cute that the girl could still be shy with her, considering the things they'd done together.

"Of course you can ask questions, Anna. That's part of getting to know one another." She told her kindly.

She somewhat regretted that.

Anna lit up. _I see you not __change__ for battle. Why not? Not can do? Do you fear pain? Lots more in old home fear pain, no like to transform. What kind you? Big? Small? I think small. You look small. _Anna suddenly looked surprised, trying to take back what could have been a potential insult. _Not what me meant. Me mean… you look… small? No! Me mean you look… not scary. Not strong? Sorry. Me not mean bad. Me mean- _

Elsa cut her off with a giggle, hand coming up to try and hide it. "Nice to see you think I'm so weak." Elsa told her, understanding that Anna assumed her to be some sort of Half-Beast, a weak one at that. Anna's thoughts turned to a jumbled mess of embarrassment and regret at her words. "I'm kidding, Anna. It's only a joke. I know you weren't trying to insult me." She explained.

Anna looked relieved at that.

_You no__t__ like me. No change._

Elsa nodded. "I'm not like you, Anna. You're right. I don't change." Elsa could feel that Anna was having a hard time understanding this. "We look alike." Elsa said, not pointing out that Anna's people tended to have strange features. "We think alike. We… act alike." Elsa remembered the way they killed her old captain and wondered if this was really true. "However I don't transform, Anna. That's all the difference." She tried to make it easier for Anna to understand. Truthfully there were more differences, but she could practically feel the old and unused gears of Anna's brain trying to spin.

_Is same. No change. Still same. Okay. _Anna nodded at this, seeming to understand.

Elsa watched her for a moment before deciding something.

"Well, you asked me a question. Now I get to ask you one." Elsa told her.

Anna seemed to get excited. _Want to know me strength? Me power?_

Elsa rolled her eyes playfully, smile on her face. "I think I've seen enough of that to know." Anna wilted a bit at her words, saddened that she would not be given a chance to impress Elsa. Elsa felt her emotions wash over her and decided to take some pity on her. "Okay… what's the biggest thing you've ever killed?" She tried, trying to think of a question that Anna would love to answer.

She had asked correctly as Anna's chest puffed out and her chin was held high.

_R__oa__ring Boom! _She answered easily.

Elsa blinked. "A… what?"

_R__oa__ring Boom! Is big animal in forest. Big like tree. Like sky. __Long belly, delicious. _Then Anna's thoughts turned to food, Elsa feeling like Anna wanted to drool at the thought.

Elsa almost giggled at how easily Anna got distracted. Elsa mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of the castle's delicacies. "Want to get something to eat? You can tell me more about this… 'boom', on the way." Elsa told her.

_Okay. Is Roaring Boom! Huge, long, big head with fangs. Scales very tough. Hard to bite. Longer than wide, but-"_

Anna went on and on about this 'Roaring Boom' as the two walked out of the room and down the hall. It seemed that this creature that Anna was talking about, sounded more and more like some gigantic snake. It wasn't all Anna's descriptions though, for some reason Elsa was getting an almost mental image of it just from Anna's emotions alone, almost like Anna was painting a picture through the link. Truthfully it began to hurt Elsa's head a bit. She almost asked Anna to stop, but alas, feeling her so happy to recount her tale of slaying the beast, Elsa could not do it.

"Amazing." Elsa interrupted Anna's thoughts, hoping to gain some relief without stopping her completely. "You killed such a beast alone? Very impressive." She tried stroking at Anna's ego, knowing the girl seemed to love having her feats recognized.

Anna looked sheepish at the praise.

_Not… alone. With others. Others like me._ Anna admitted, seeming to have a hard time admitting to Elsa that she hadn't done it alone.

And Elsa knew why.

Anna wanted to impress her, only wanted Elsa to see her in a positive light. It was all she wanted, all she craved. Perhaps more than her desire to be more than friends with Elsa. It was hard to tell. What Elsa did know was that Anna seemed to fear Elsa rejecting her, could feel the nervousness through the link as she admitted to having not done it alone. She seemed to think that just because Anna was in a party during the hunt, that Elsa would not find her strong. Strength seemed to be important to Anna, very important.

Elsa simply smiled, wondering if this was how pets would feel if they could talk to their owners. Always wanting to know whether they've been good enough or not.

"It's still very impressive, Anna. I could never fight such a beast, alone or with others." She told her, trying to bleed her own emotions into the link to let Anna know that she was being entirely truthful. She found Anna impressive, the girl not needing to tell her stories of her past deeds to try and impress her when she already thought Anna was above and beyond anyone she'd ever met.

It seems her feelings did go through as Anna suddenly looked very happy and proud of herself. The feelings sent through the link confirmed this.

_This nice. Talking. Understanding. Nice. _Anna said, though Elsa wondered if she actually said it or if Anna's open link was just letting feelings through.

"I agree." Elsa agreed easily.

While both Elsa and Anna were distracted with conversation, neither of them were paying enough attention as they turned a corner, bumping into something. Well, Elsa had thought it was something due to how much it felt like running into a wall, but it turned out to be a person.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Elsa apologized as she looked up.

"No problem, little lady." Sir Flynn spoke, his shiny armor being what Elsa felt was a wall. Flynn noticed it was Elsa after a moment and laughed. "Oh, sorry Larsa. Thought you were a girl for a second." He smiled in good nature.

Elsa let out a nervous chuckle. "A common mistake. Maybe I should cut my hair." Elsa tried to go with it.

Flynn shrugged. "Some girls like men with long hair." He then rolled his eyes. "Isn't that like a part of knight tales or something? Knights are always with long, flowing, blonde locks and all that." He chuckled as he looked to Elsa again. "You fit the description… just maybe not as tall… or muscular… and your voice too." He reached up a hand to his chin, assessing Elsa.

"I wouldn't make a good knight." Elsa quickly said, not liking the way he was judging her features.

"I said the same thing about myself and guess what?" He opened his mouth to say something else before stopping. "Wait… actually I'm not so good a knight. Well, good thing my job is to just follow the princess around." He shrugged again.

_Hungry. Why stop for man? Belly ache. Food._ More emotions and thoughts from Anna.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Sorry again for bumping into you. I'm on my way to the mess hall." Elsa said as she tried to go around him.

She was stopped.

"The mess hall? Ugh! Don't get me wrong I was raised on peasant food, but why go back to that when you have the castle at your disposal?" He took a look around, finding a servant was washing a window far down the hall. "Hey! Hey you! Yes, you! Come here!" He called out.

The servant came running over, nearly tripping over himself to come and attend someone of Sir Flynn's status.

"Y-yes, sir?" The servant asked.

"Fetch… uh." He turned to Elsa. "What's the name of the maid who attends your room?"

"Ariel." She answered.

"Yes, fetch Ariel and have her bring up some breakfast for Larsa." He looked to Elsa, giving her an eyeful as his eyes roamed down and then up. "Make it a big plate." He said, thinking Elsa to be far too skinny to be a soldier.

"Yes, sir!" The servant went to leave, about to run away to quickly fill the order that a knight, the queen's guard no less, had given him.

"Wait!" Elsa called. The servant stopped. "If you're going to do that… might as well get something for Anna as well." She looked to Anna. "What do you want to eat?"

Anna looked to Elsa.

_Meat. Succulent. Juicy. _A simple answer.

Elsa turned to the servant. "She want's uh… ham… and chicken." She told him. The servant ran off after that, forcing Elsa to call out with, "Make it an extra big plate!"

Flynn was rubbing his chin again. "You talk to her as if you understood her." He said.

Elsa, not really knowing why, panicked. "Of course not!" She quickly threw out.

Flynn shrugged again. "I know that. She didn't say anything. I was just saying you must be able to read her well. I expect no less from the infamous Beast-Tamer." Flynn told her, no sense of mischief about him.

Elsa nodded. "Well… thank you. For the food I mean. I should get back to my room with Anna. She's very hungry." Elsa told him, trying to use Anna to help her escape quicker.

Flynn looked to Anna who was staring at him. He raised a brow and took a cautious step back. "Is that so? Well, don't let me keep you." He said. "Ah right, might as well give you a heads up." He went to go around Elsa to continue to wherever he was going, but suddenly stopped. "Princess has plans to use you again. Something about a demon sighting at an old village. I think she plans to send you since you and your friend are experienced in demon slaying." He gave a small salute. "Just thought you might want to know." Then he went around Elsa, making sure to pass by Elsa and not Anna.

Elsa listened to him leave for a moment, her mind thinking about what he said. Another demon? Another monster from the south? She felt her heart rate pick up after thinking about the last battle, remembering the way she was nearly crushed to death. She recalled the man she tried to fight, remembered the way he deflected her blade and hurt her wrist. She recalled him raising his sword, a sword that would have cut her down if not for Anna. She remembered a boy that could have become her friend, remembered the way his guts stuck to the demon's fist.

_Elsa? _

Anna.

Elsa turned to Anna, finding the girl looking at her with worry. It occurred to Elsa that she had let her emotions bleed through the link. She quickly tried to seal it off, her mother's words entering her head as she forced herself to calm down.

Conceal, don't feel.

Elsa's emotions became her own once again.

"I'm fine, Anna. Just a bit of… bad news." Elsa said, forcing a smile.

Anna, unable to feel what she previously felt, could only take Elsa's words at face value.

_Bad? What bad?_ Anna asked, wondering if she should chase down the metal man from before and rip into him. Elsa had not felt that way until he came.

Elsa sighed as she turned to go back to her room.

"I'll tell you on the way."

And Elsa did tell. She told Anna that they may have to fight another monster, the same kind from before in the village. Anna was silent for awhile, however by the time they were back in the room, she seemed to have gathered her thoughts.

_Elsa is scared?_ She questioned, watching as Elsa took a seat on the bed to await their food.

Elsa chuckled in a dark way. "I thought you of all people would know by now… I'm always scared, Anna." She said, feeling that she didn't have to hide these type of things from Anna. Anna already knew her, had already seen her at her worse. Besides, telling Anna she was a coward should not come as a surprise to the redhead.

Anna thought for awhile.

_Why? __Me __protect. Always protect. Care for Elsa. _Anna couldn't seem to grasp it, her mind unable to picture why Elsa would fear anything so long as Anna was there.

Elsa shook her head. "You can't always be there, Anna. I'm no good in a fight."

_You learn. Me see. You play fight. Get better. _She was talking about the training.

Elsa gave another shake of her head. "That's different, Anna. This will be a monster, not a person."

_You fight in old home. You win with me. We win. Together we win. _She brought up the way they had fought to leave her old village, the way Elsa refused to give up and die.

"I could have easily died. We were lucky. If not for that waterfall, they would have caught up to us and killed us." She chuckled in a bad way again. "Which they kind of did. You were nearly killed and me… if not for the ice we would be dead." She admitted, the admittance of death leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

Elsa could feel the frustration that Anna was having, the girl truly did not understand.

_We win though. Always win. Me strong. Me protect. _Anna told her again.

Now it was Elsa's turn to go frustrated, angry that Anna couldn't receive a simple message.

"It's called luck, Anna! Luck runs out! Do you know what happens when your luck runs out?! You die! I don't want to die Anna!" Then Elsa suddenly settled, a hand coming up hide her face. "I don't want to die." Elsa admitted, feeling ashamed for some reason. She hated to admit it to someone like Anna. Anna was strong and brave. Elsa was just a weak coward.

The bed sunk in next to Elsa, Anna coming to sit down next to her.

_No sad, Elsa. Please. _And Elsa could just feel the sympathy, the way it hurt Anna to see Elsa in a state that was even remotely negative.

Anna reached up and took Elsa's hand, the one she hid her face with. Elsa just looked to her, her shame written all over her face. She wanted to run away from Anna, to not see her right now. How could Anna ever like or respect her when she was nothing compared to her. Everything seemed fine between the two until combat was involved, that was when their differences came out. Elsa didn't want to say it, but the gift that the gypsy gave them was working against her right now. Knowing that Anna could understand her, _had _understood what she said about herself, it was something Elsa wished she could take back. She always wished to talk with Anna, but never about this. Never did she want this proud warrior to look down on her cowardice self.

It hurt to think that Anna saw her as less, when Anna always seemed to look at her with more.

_No think that. Always Elsa good. _Anna speaking again.

Elsa looked up, wondering what she was saying considering she hadn't said anything.

_Always like Elsa. Not care for strong. Not care for weak. Just Elsa. Only Elsa._

That was when Elsa realized her emotions had bled through the link again. Anna had heard her thoughts, felt her shame. Elsa almost wanted to cry when she felt the immense warmth of Anna's emotions. Anna didn't care about such things. She didn't care if Elsa knew how to fight or not. She only cared for Elsa. She would protect Elsa even if Elsa knew how to fight better than she. She would always be there for her. She liked being around Elsa, gave up her home for Elsa. She wouldn't let anyone hurt Elsa.

These were just some of the feelings that bled through from Anna, all of them warm and intense.

"Anna…" Elsa said softly, not knowing what to say in front of such pure emotion.

Anna reached over and hugged Elsa to her.

_Me like Elsa for Elsa. Always. _Something Elsa already knew.

Anna kissed Elsa's cheek in the same way that Elsa had done for her back before the fight with the demon. She held Elsa close, holding Elsa's chin to her shoulder. All the while she let her emotions flow through the link, let them enforce Elsa with the knowledge that Anna cared for her. And Elsa did let one tear slip as she embraced Anna back, a single tear that carried as much emotion as she let flow through to Anna. She was thankful to have met Anna, happy to have her in her life, and grateful that Anna had no plans to ever leave.

And when Ariel came rushing to the room, opening the door without knocking to apologize for being late. She had witnessed the embrace of two souls who were more connected than any other humans had ever been in one moment.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hey! Getting this out a day early. It's been done for a little while and I just kind of kept it to make sure its what I wanted. Anyway, I'm definitely feeling a bit burned out... I've been trying to write everyday, even resorting to one shots to keep the juices flowing... but damn I've not been having too much luck. I will try to get the next chapter out next week... but it could be two weeks from now, I'm not sure. Anyway... enough of that, just wanted to keep you all updated on whats going on behind the scenes. Onto the reviews!

Lance58: Yes! Finally communication! Definitely fun to be able to write interactions now.

TitanColossus: Well howdy friend, always nice to see a new face. Really glad you're enjoying. I'm so sorry that its a slowburn Dx ... but maybe things will speed up with their relationship!

Scarterror The Fallen: Bad day? Oh man I understand that. I'm really happy to know this made it better for you, I never imagined someone could feel better after reading my story. Entertained? Sure. But to cheer you up? Now that's amazing! Also, like I always say, Nice to see a new face. Hope you keep reading, friend!

DreamWalker: Yes I hope so too... oh wait i already know when it ends. damn it. Sometimes being the author isn't fun, i'm not surprised by the story!

StillEvolving: Oh hey there! Glad you offered the advice before! It's been really helpful and I always make sure that something gets done everyday. Glad you're still enjoying the story!

Nara375: Hey! Always speculating, I love it! Hmm... what can I say that isn't spoiler... I feel like if I answer some of your questions that it will ruin the story for you. For example I know about Rapunzel and Flynn and it wouldn't be spoiler to let you know some things about them.. but since you like to guess about them, i feel like I shouldn't say anything. I will give you some sort of hint tho... someone may just be a an... admirer of Elsa or Anna. I won't say who and I won't say which one they like, but just know that someone has their eyes on one of them... perhaps.

Darratato: Everytime i write your name I put Darratoto for some reason. Elsa sure does seem to holding onto those feelings. When will it finally burst? Oh I don't know... well I may have an idea... but that's for the author to know and the reader to find out! Ah I love being able to watch people be tortured by waiting for an event. bwahahaha... that's my evil laugh. Thanks for the review as always.

jennifersmith2198: Hello there, another new face! Glad you're enjoying! It's funny you mention all of those things about the story... strange as it may be, I never really think about it. I just kind of write things down and hope it turns out good, I never wonder how well I'm showing the emotion and if the characters are developing properly... I just kinda go with it. What i'm saying is, is that its nice that you noticed these things and let me know I'm doing okay, it really makes me happy. It makes me feel like I'm writing a story and not just some string of events that are leading to an ending... if that makes sense. Anyway! I'm just glad you said all those nice things. Thanks for the review!

That should be all of the reviewers this time around. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! If I start getting more reviews than this then I'm going to have to start replaying with PM's instead as I feel like I'm using up a lot of space. Anyway, that's a worry for another time. On with the story!

* * *

Elsa readied her blade, eyes filled with determination as she stared down the beast. Her feet spread apart, knowing she'd have to strike first. The beast eyed her, serpentine eyes locked on her own. Elsa gathered her resolve and struck first. With a battle cry, she went forward. She hoped her intimidating cry would shake the beast. She struck out, sword slashing downwards. The beast moved with agility that no human could mock. Elsa could only watch as the beast's claws came forward. She winced, feeling the hand wrap around her throat. She tried to swing her blade out, to cut away at the beast in the hopes to make it drop her, but found her hand being held in a clawed grip. The beast snarled, blue-green eyes scrunching up as a roar filled the outside air. Elsa, realizing her sword arm was useless, tried to swing out with her left. The beast lifted her with one hand and put her to the ground, the beast's body moving over hers to hold her down. Unable to move her arms and with the beast's talons at her throat, there was only one thing she could do as the beast moved closer and closer with his opened maw filled with sharp teeth.

"I yield!" Elsa called out.

The beast, no, Anna, let her up after that. The girl's entire persona shifting as Elsa called out her surrender. Anna helped Elsa to her feet, looking a bit worried.

_Hurt Elsa?_ _Pain?_ Anna asked, looking like she'd done something wrong.

Elsa offered a smile and a shrug. "Just scratched my shoulder when you put me down. You were careful, don't worry." Elsa told her, remembering that Anna could easily slam a body to the ground if she so wished. She had been quite gentle in putting Elsa to the ground in comparison.

Anna smiled back. _Is good? More? _She asked.

Currently, Elsa and Anna were at the training grounds. Elsa, knowing she had to fight a beast that would use only its body as a weapon, decided that Anna may be a good opponent to practice on. It worked for both of them. Anna was growing bored, itching for anything to do, and Elsa could use the practice. The two had been dueling for around twelve minutes. Elsa had somehow acquired eight losses in that time span.

Anna was victorious with no defeats.

Elsa had to admit it was a little frustrating. She suspected she could have taken at least one round off of Anna by now. The girl was used to fighting in hand to hand combat, or beast to beast. She shouldn't have been prepared for fighting Elsa who used a tool, a sword. Well, it was a wooden sword, but the concept still applied. The more she loss, the more curious she grew, until she finally decided to ask.

"Anna?" She asked, Anna was already getting ready for another bout. "Why do you feel… comfortable fighting someone with a weapon. Shouldn't you be used to… I don't know… teeth and claws." She asked, feeling like she was asking something offensive for some reason.

Anna gave a tilt of her head.

_Have fought before._ A simple answer.

Elsa looked confused. "What do you mean?"

_Others come into old home, fight with same claws._ Elsa could tell that 'claws' referred to weapons. _We take when win, use against each other for training._ Anna admitted easily.

Elsa had to think about that for a moment. While Elsa thought, Anna decided to help her out by sending picture images through the link. This was a feature they had discovered together. It had been two days since the link was created. The two had discovered that with enough concentration and focusing of one thing, they could show it to another. What Elsa got from Anna was an image of her villagers and Anna herself taking weapons from dead humans and bringing them back to the village. It went into the storehouse area, the one that Elsa once tried to steal from in order to escape. Another set of images showed Anna fighting someone who used one of the pilfered swords, another Half-Beast like herself. A few more images showed that Anna herself had tried using one, curious as to how it worked. At the time the ignorant girl had assumed it to be a long and detachable claw.

Elsa's head began to ache and she held up a hand. "Enough, Anna." She told her.

Anna ceased the images.

_Good to know enemy. Good to train. Strong for fight._ Anna told her.

Elsa made sure that her own emotions were closed off to Anna as she did her best not to think of Anna in a negative light. Anna had killed far more people than Elsa had first assumed. Sure, Elsa knew about Anna killing part of her old company, but she was unaware that Anna had killed various humans who wandered into the forest. Whether Anna meant to or not, she had shown a few images of several different times where she had acquired the weapons. One of those times involved a young girl, probably eight or so, who laid torn apart next to the disembodied parts of her mother and father. The father only having an axe to protect his family who he had likely taken on some sort of trip.

Anna had seen to killing the family herself, seeing as they were a small group that she could handle alone.

Elsa tried to block out the fact that Anna was willing to murder a child if need be. Instead she readied her wooden sword for another round, focusing on Anna only.

"Ready." Elsa said.

The training went on, Elsa always on the losing end. Eventually, after perhaps forty minutes or so, they had garnered a small crowd of soldiers. Most came to marvel at the Beast Tamer who was willing to challenge his own beast and lose. They expected him to be mauled at any given moment, the beast gaining more and more dominance with each victory. Some came just to see how the beast fought, in case they too may have to deal with her someday. A few felt the need to watch just in case they needed to interfere. While Elsa was unaware, she had gained the respect of some soldiers after the mission to protect the village from the southern isles' attack. It did not matter that Anna slayed the beast, what mattered to some was that Elsa commanded her.

Elsa hit the floor for what felt like the hundredth time. Anna stood over her, a small smirk on her face as she tapped a claw to Elsa's throat.

"I yield." Elsa whispered feeling frustrated with herself, and something else that had been nagging at her mind.

A laugh entered her mind. _Elsa easy. Maybe always have to protect. _Anna taunted in good nature, smile showing she meant no offense.

Elsa however took it as offensively as possible. She was growing frustrated, angry that she couldn't best Anna even once. More so, the image of Anna slaying a young child would not leave her mind. She couldn't understand how Anna could do such a thing. Did the girl have no empathy? What child at that age deserved to be killed. It also reminded her that Anna had once killed one of her own who was also much too young to be escorted to the afterlife. Did Anna truly have zero remorse for anyone she considered an opponent. She never even went easy on Elsa, sure she made sure not to hurt her too bad during training, but she didn't even try to slow down for Elsa. Every match lasted a few seconds before Anna claimed her throat with her clawed fingers and put her to the ground. Every match was over before Elsa could even learn anything. All she knew was that Anna was better, stronger, faster.

Her fingertips tingled as she remembered that she had an edge that Anna did not.

"Ready." Elsa said, a fiery determination now filling her eyes.

Anna noticed, but took on her own stance as she prepared.

As per usual, Anna waited for Elsa to attack first. Elsa went first, charging at Anna with her blade ready to slash downwards. Anna, predictably moved out of the way. Before her claws could come up to grab at Elsa's throat however, Elsa backed off. Her fingertips felt cold, icy, and numb as she lashed out her left hand with a yell. Suddenly snow began to billow, a harsh winter wind kicking up the snow from the ground around Anna, creating a vortex of of snowflakes that swirled around the area, blinding most of the onlookers who hid their faces. Most importantly though, Anna was distracted by it, covering her eyes with an arm while trying to look for Elsa. Elsa took her opportunity and charged forward.

"Got you!" Elsa yelled out as she swiped her sword down with way too much force for practice.

She hit air.

Elsa looked shocked as Anna moved out of the way, barely dodging the blade that came down. Elsa went to turn her blade, only to find herself pounced upon. Anna jumped on her, claws on her shoulder as she threw her entire weight onto Elsa and made her hit the ground. She growled menacingly before opening her mouth with a roar that sent saliva onto Elsa's terrified face. Anna looked furious, ready to murder. Elsa shook as she did the only thing she could think of.

"I-I yield… Anna." She tried, worried that this may be the last thing she'd ever say.

Something shifted in Anna, the girl calming down near instantly. She looked down at Elsa, her own face mimicking a sort of terror that Elsa was wearing. Anna quickly backed away, scrambling to get off of Elsa. Elsa simply laid on the floor for a moment, staring at the sky while trying to even out her breathing. Elsa eventually did sit up, finding that the brief whirlwind of snow was over. Most seemed confused by the sudden attack of wind, while a few hand their swords drawn, looking as though they were about to come to Elsa's aid. Elsa could tell that most did not see what happened. No one seemed to suspect her of what happened, instead some began to laugh as they said that the gods must be watching over the match as well and wanted to join in.

"Are you alright, Beast Tamer?" Someone asked, a man who seemed to be the only one brave enough to walk close to Elsa despite Anna only being a few feet away.

Elsa looked to him for a moment, seeming lost. Eventually she did nod and stand up. "I am fine. What was that wind?" She feigned ignorance, opting to ask a question that everyone else seemed to wonder as well.

"Arendelle winters can be odd at times, sir." The soldier said, showing Elsa an amount of respect that she didn't expect.

"Right…" Elsa said absently, staring at Anna who still looked shaken over what nearly happened.

The soldier seemed to grow antsy, as if he were in front of the queen. "Yes, well carry on, sir." He said, quickly walking away.

Elsa stared at Anna, wondering what she was feeling, but found that the link had been severed. Anna was shutting her out, the same way that Elsa did to her. Elsa was unaware if this was on purpose or not.

Elsa took a breath before, "I think that's enough for now." She eyed the people around her out of the corner of her eye. "We're leaving, Anna." She said, more for appearance than anything.

Elsa walked away, hearing footsteps behind her that told her that Anna did indeed follow. Elsa didn't have a destination in mind, simply walking back toward the castle. She wanted to get away from everyone, her mind feeling like people would somehow figure out that she had caused the gust of chilly wind. Elsa had of course done it, the wind not really being wind but rather snow that she controlled that had come in like a flurry. She was hoping to distract Anna long enough to land a killing blow. It was… wrong, she knew. She had been so angry at the losses over and over, just wanting one win against Anna. She'd even felt she would be giving the girl a proper punishment for what she'd done in the past if she could best her even once. Elsa knew she was wrong, knew she should apologize. However she was scared to turn around, scared to face Anna's anger again.

Anna remained quiet.

The two walked the castle, Elsa aiming to head back to her room. To do what? She was unsure. She knew she would have to talk with Anna about what happened. She didn't feel anger towards Anna, only shame for herself for doing what she did to provoke the girl. She did feel something towards Anna though… something she hadn't felt towards Anna in what felt like a long time.

Fear.

Part of her knew she shouldn't. Anna had clearly regretted what she had done and had backed off immediately once her senses came back. It's just that she never thought for a second since getting back to the city and castle that Anna would ever even think of harming her. Maybe she wouldn't either. Still, the way she snarled at Elsa, the way her jaw opened and the look in her eyes. It wasn't something Elsa would forget for some time.

"Mr. Larsa."

Elsa stopped, blinking away thoughts she'd rather not think about as she looked to find Kai, the royal servant, standing before her.

"Yes?" She heard Anna stop behind her.

"Her majesty has summoned you to the throne room." Kai informed her.

Elsa seemed confused, but soon words of Sir Flynn's warning entered her mind.

"Right…" She more said this to herself.

"Would you like me to walk you there, sir?" Kai asked, looking as formal as ever.

Elsa gave a nod.

"Right this way, sir." And he turned on his heels and began to walk.

Elsa walked with him. Her first thought was to let Anna know where they were going and that they may just be sent on another mission by the queen. She feared trying to use the link right now, worried that Anna would be angry with her. She tried to remind herself that Anna was kind and that she seemed to feel bad about what had almost happened. All Elsa had to do was apologize for provoking her. She surely didn't blame Anna for her anger, Elsa had no right to do what she did.

She took a breath.

_Anna?_ She thought, doing her best to focus on Anna so the thought went through. She had already learned that she could talk in her mind the same way Anna did, however she liked using her own voice to communicate with the girl when possible. Right now though, she thought Kai might find it strange if she had a one sided conversation with Anna.

There was no response to her call.

_Anna?_ A furrow of her brow as nothing was said back to her. _Anna, please._ And Elsa let her emotions go, let them free through the link.

They hit a wall.

Anna was blocking her out, unable to hear her words.

The link wasn't severed, Elsa could tell. Anna had cut off her side of the link however, unwilling to hear Elsa's words. It was like two friends connected by a rope around the waist. While Elsa still had the rope around her waist, Anna had cut her own rope and simply held it in her hand. It was still there, but the connection had been cut on one end. Anna could re-attach the rope to her waist if she wished, but only if she wished.

She didn't want to talk with Elsa.

The thought hurt Elsa's chest, made her heart ache. Anna wanted nothing to do with her right now. The girl who couldn't seem to ever get enough of her, now seemed to want to get away. Elsa could only blame her own foolish actions. How could she use her powers against Anna in what was supposed to be a practice fight. Perhaps it would have been okay if she had warned her first.

Funny how something as simple as a warning could have avoided this entire situation.

"The queen awaits inside, sir." Kai said, stopping in front of the throne room doors that were ajar.

"Thank you." Elsa said absently, her mind focusing on her own failures.

Elsa stepped into the large throne room, Anna behind her. Elsa had of course been here before. She had once stepped inside when called to deliver a report on what happened during her last mission. Not that she reported anything, Shang and Kristoff were able to cover it all without her input. Now though, Shang and Kristoff were gone, replaced with only one knight who stood proper in front of the queen.

Sir Gaston.

"Ah, there you are, Larsa. I see your training with Anna has not left you battered. This is good, for you shall be needed." Queen Rapunzel said with a smile, her strange nature making it hard to tell if she was serious or if she were joking.

Elsa walked until she was around the same area as Sir Gaston, only several feet apart to the side.

"You called, your majesty?" Elsa asked, not really knowing what to say, but remembering a children's story where a peasant said the same words when called for by the queen.

"Indeed I did. Important business that needs to be taken care of." She said easily.

"Business you're familiar with." Sir Flynn decided to speak up from the queen's side. As usual he was posted nearby.

Rapunzel looked to him with a small glare. "I can handle informing him." She scolded him.

"Didn't want you to have to waste all of that royal breath princess, but be my guest." Flynn gestured a hand towards Elsa and Gaston, essentially telling her to get on with it.

"I'm the _queen_." She stressed. When Flynn gave her nothing but a shrug and a smirk, she decided to turn back to the two under her services that would actually give her respect. "Sir Gaston is already quite informed on what is happening, so allow me to catch you up." She was speaking to Elsa of course. "Rumor has it that another demon has shown their face, this time at an old castle. The castle itself is abandoned, ruled once by those who reigned before Arendelle came to be. The peasants say the demon howls at night and stalks the village with hungry eyes. No bodies have been found, but several maidens have gone missing. They are thought to be abducted by the beast." Then she looked to Sir Gaston. "This would make sense, considering Sir Gaston once fought the very same demon at that exact location." The queen said.

When Gaston realized that the queen was finished and was expecting him to elaborate, he did. "Months ago I fought with this demon. I thought it to be dead, sure that my wounds I inflicted were fatal, but alas the demon has come back. If maidens are being abducted, I believe it is this same demon. The only reason I investigated the castle to begin with was because the local peasants claimed a young woman had been taken. If not for that, I would have dismissed their rumors of a demon to be just that." He finished, believing this was enough information for Elsa.

Elsa looked from Gaston to the queen. "You would have me fight this monster?" Elsa asked, already knowing the answer.

"Who better? You are the most experienced in slaying demons. If this demon really is back, then Sir Gaston has only ever fought a demon, not slayed one." Rapunzel said, thinking it obvious.

Elsa wanted to argue that she had slayed no demon. She wanted to argue that she was nearly killed, caught in the grips of one and about to die. If not for the kindhearted soldier who threw away his own life to save hers, then she would be dead. She knew though, that no one cared that she had not slain the beast. It was Anna who did it and everyone knew. Elsa was her master though, and as her master, it meant she commanded her.

If Anna slayed a demon, the credit would go to the master that controlled her.

Elsa already knew this, seeing as some soldiers from the mission to defend the village had congratulated her on slaying the beast. Anna was just a tool in the eyes of others, a sword that Elsa wielded. They were all unaware that it was a double edged sword that Elsa had no idea how to wield. She could just as easily cut herself as she could anyone else.

"Don't tell me you're worried." Sir Flynn spoke up, an easy smile on his face. The look Elsa gave him was one that did very little in hiding her nerves. "The demon was bested by Gaston, who will also be going on the mission, The two of you combined will send the demon to its grave. Not to mention Gaston is the best swordsman in the kingdom." Flynn tossed out simply, his words containing a reassuring truth to them.

"The best?" Elsa asked, looking to Sir Gaston in a new light. Sure, she already thought the man to be great and honorable after what he did for her and Anna, but to also find out that he was the strongest swordsman in the kingdom was reassuring.

Flynn nodded, smile still in place. "No one crosses blades like Gaston."

Gaston suddenly laughed out loud, as though there were some hidden joke that everyone but he and Flynn were missing.

While Elsa and Rapunzel remained ignorant, the queen decided to move on. "The mission is simple. You two will go to the village, slay the demon, and rescue the maidens he has captured… if they are alive." She added.

Elsa gave a nod, already knowing that she couldn't wriggle her way out of doing this. It helped to know that Sir Gaston would be coming with her. If the man really was the best swordsman in Arendelle and had already bested the demon in combat, than this shouldn't be nearly as frightening as she imagined.

"I will make sure that the demon does not live a second time, your majesty." Gaston said with confidence.

The queen nodded. "You will both leave immediately, horses have already been gathered and packed for your journey at the front of the castle."

Both Elsa and Gaston gave a bow, Elsa only doing so after seeing Gaston do so. Both of them turned to leave, Elsa making eye contact with Anna as she turned. The redhead was quick to break it, looking away and down at the ground. Elsa felt another ache in her heart as she let out a weak command.

"We're leaving, Anna."

The three left the throne room, heading for the front gates of the castle. Contrary to what Elsa thought, it would not be just the three of them. There were a dozen soldiers posted outside, all of them lounging around and waiting for Elsa and Gaston.

Surprisingly she recognized one of them.

"Larsa!" Milo called, running up to Elsa and Gaston who were walking together. The two of them stopped at his approach. "Hey. I'm glad I got here in time to get a horse." He said, ready to tell the story of how he ran all the way here from the soldier's bunks.

Before Elsa could greet him, Gaston spoke up. "And who are you?" He questioned, seeming somewhat displeased.

Milo turned to Gaston, thrusting his hand out for a shake. "I'm Milo Thatch. We've uh, met once before." Gaston eyed him, not seeming to know what he was talking about. "I'm Larsa's training partner. We met during one of our practices."

Gaston suddenly smiled, reaching up to grasp at his hand for a shake. "Forgive me, as a knight I am ashamed to forget a soldier's face for even a moment." He told him.

Milo shook his head. "No worries, sir! I'm quite forgettable." Milo degraded himself easily, excited to shake hands with a famous knight.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, a good question." Gaston agreed.

"Oh! I'm here to join you in slaying the demon!" He said easily.

"What?!" Elsa and Gaston both seemed shocked.

"I was recruited for the mission at the last second, an extra man to help in taking down the demon." Milo seemed excited to gain an opportunity like this.

Gaston's eyes turned dark. "Is that so?" Then suddenly he was back to normal. "Well, best of luck Milo. Don't let your first demon hunt be your last." Gaston told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he walked away to talk with the other soldiers.

"Wow. You do missions with people like Sir Gaston." Milo turned to Elsa, amazed.

"You were recruited for this?" Elsa had a hard time believing this, neither she or Milo were experienced enough in combat for something like this.

Milo took a look around, making sure no one was in earshot before leaning forward to whisper to Elsa.

"Truthfully I was sent by Sir Kristoff." Milo said.

Elsa looked surprised. "Sir Kristoff sent you?"

"He told me to keep an eye on… um…" He suddenly seemed to be at a loss for words.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What? You can tell me, Milo."

Milo sighed. "I wasn't supposed to tell you in the first place. He wants me to keep an eye on Sir Gaston and… Anna as well." He admitted.

Elsa reared her head back as though she were slapped. "What, why?" She asked.

Milo shrugged, looking somewhat ashamed, as though he were doing something wrong. "He just said that he didn't trust either of them. He wants me to 'lay low' and watch." Milo told her.

Elsa looked angry suddenly. "He just doesn't trust Anna. He thinks she's an animal. He thinks she would hurt me." Images of herself being pinned on the ground with Anna snarling at her filled her mind. She ignored it though. Anna _wouldn't_ have hurt her. She would have stopped before she did. "As for Gaston… I don't know." Elsa shrugged, not understanding why Kristoff would want Milo to watch over Gaston who had been nothing but kind to her.

Milo also shrugged. "Me either. Everyone says that Sir Gaston is a great man. They say he slayed a demon, that he's the best swordsman in the kingdom. Now… I don't know about the demon part, that just seems too ridiculous." Milo said.

Elsa gave a small smile. Milo wasn't a soldier who didn't believe in demons. He believed Elsa when she told him the story of how Anna slayed a demon immediately. Milo however seemed to have a hard time believing that one man could take down the kind of demon that Elsa described. Elsa began to walk around Milo, ready to search for her horse and get a move on, not wanting to slow down others who were already mounting their horses.

"He didn't slay the demon, Milo." She said as she walked.

Milo quickly turned and caught up. "What?"

While they mounted up, Milo having kept a horse for Elsa beside his own, Elsa told him that Gaston had only bested the demon in combat. She also had to explain that they were going to slay the same demon.

"Rumors can get out of hand, huh?" Milo was referring to the fact that everyone believed he slayed the demon, not weakened it.

Elsa gave a nod as she tried mounting her horse, failing to do so. She heard Milo chuckle from atop his horse, having successfully mounting his own by himself. She almost stopped to say something nasty to him, but found hands on her waist that pushed her atop the horse.

"Oh! Thank you… Anna." She said, pausing for a moment as she righted herself atop the horse and looked down to find her beast-like friend.

Anna said nothing, doing her best not to look at her.

"… Well, come on. We've only got the one horse, Anna." She told her.

Whether Anna understood her words or not was left up in the air as Anna did in fact mount the horse, climbing up and behind Elsa.

Elsa noticed that she did not hold on as tightly as before when they began to move out.

The link between the two remained closed as they rode on. Even after several hours, Anna did not speak up or even hint that she would re-open her side of the link. Elsa had to entertain herself with conversation with Milo. Well, it was mostly questions from Milo and Elsa answering as best she could without blowing her cover that she had not tamed Anna. This would go on for hours before it was announced that a break would occur. Elsa was used to this, seeing as she took multiple breaks during her first mission where she had to visit a far away town.

They took a break near a stream of water, a perfect spot to let the horses drink while Elsa and everyone else sat down for a meal. The trip wouldn't last much longer, the town only being a few hours away now. It made Elsa nervous, but she kept reminding herself that so long as Sir Gaston and Anna stayed nearby, she would survive this ordeal. Although Anna was silent and not talking, Elsa just knew that the girl would protect her. She was likely angry with Elsa over what she did… but she wouldn't let Elsa die over something like that… right?

Elsa was sitting down with Milo and Anna, all of them eating dried out jerky as their meal. Anna seemed content with the chewy and dry meat. At least, Elsa assumed so. Anna was sitting further away than normal, not so far that Elsa would need to shout or anything, but it was still far in comparison to the way Anna normally sat up under her during times like this.

Elsa sighed as she bit into another piece of jerky.

"…Is something wrong?" Milo asked hesitantly.

Elsa looked to him, the man sitting only two or so feet away from Elsa as he ate away at his own jerky. "Why would you assume that?" She questioned instead, not bothering to give him a yes or a no.

Milo drummed his fingers against his lap for a moment. "I've never seen you two so far apart." Milo said, taking note of the distance between Anna and Elsa.

Elsa tried to shrug it off nonchalantly. The idea of letting anyone know that she and Anna were not on the best of terms made her stomach flip. She had a reputation to uphold with others. "She can be… moody sometimes. I give her a little bit of space during these times." Elsa tried to put it on Anna, not wanting anyone to think she had a flaw in her taming skills.

Milo nodded as though he expected to hear that. "Is that so? Do you know the reasons for these moods?" He asked, always curious.

Elsa's face folded into a small grimace. "I…" She paused, looking over and noticing that Anna had finished her small bag of jerky. "I'm going to get Anna more food." She looked to Milo with a forced smile. "A little meal like that is nothing for her." Then Elsa stood.

"Oh, okay." Milo answered, somewhat confused at Elsa's dismissal. He wondered if he'd asked a wrong question.

Elsa, for the first time in a long time, left without trying to get Anna to follow her. She left the area, boots barely making a sound as she walked off. She had not lied about going to get Anna more food, however the reason she had left was indeed to avoid Milo's question. She didn't want to tell him that it was she who put Anna in moods. Whether it be the time she rejected Anna's attempt to feed her so long ago, or when she rejected Anna's offer of warmth during their first mission. Anyone who knew the two, would know that the only way Anna entered one of her 'moods' would be when Elsa did something wrong to her.

It was always like this wasn't it? Elsa had always done something wrong, or misunderstood Anna.

Elsa sighed as she walked around the small area that the soldiers had used to set up camp. They were beside the stream, which was in a small bit of woodland. A few birds sang in the trees, the river flowing with a trickling sound. The atmosphere did not tell of the battle that was to take place in only a few short hours. Elsa didn't mind of course, preferring to ignore what was to come until she was forced to deal with it. She walked around to the horses that were still drinking water. It took her a moment, but she believed that she did find her own horse. She opened up one of the saddle bags and found more jerky. She pulled the bag out and gave the horse a pat on its side, wanting to thank it for putting up with both her and Anna's weight.

She was stalling.

"Quite an appetite you have." Someone said beside her.

Elsa turned to find Sir Gaston standing a few feet away, his eyes on the jerky in her hands. She blushed for some reason, worried that he thought she to be some sort of glutton. "It's for Anna." She admitted.

"Ah." Gaston began knowingly. "I would imagine it takes a lot of energy to transform the way she does. It would explain her appetite."

Elsa looked somewhat shocked to hear that. "You… know of Anna's other form?"

"Not personally. I only have the stories of soldiers to go off of. They claim she is huge. That her jaws could easily split a man in half with one bite." Gaston told her, sounding… almost thrilled.

Elsa turned fully to him, a feeling of needing to defend her friend sparked within her. "She wouldn't do that. Anna doesn't attack unless she is provoked. She's never hurt anyone besides southern isles soldiers." Elsa said, wanting to make sure that Gaston knew of Anna's nature. The man had saved her after all, had given her and Anna a second chance to be together.

If not for Gaston, Anna would have been hung at the gallows.

The thought made Elsa's chest hurt.

Gaston gave a brief wave of his hand. "I am aware that she is on our side. She's been here for weeks, yes? Not a single injury has been reported that could have belonged to her bite or claws." Gaston said easily, and truthfully he did not fear Anna attacking anyone without it being in defense of her or her master.

Elsa gave a nod after a moment, glad he understood.

She thought to leave, to go back to Anna and give her the jerky. Perhaps Anna would feel up to talking after receiving more food from Elsa. Maybe she'd re-open the link once she was full and happy after a meal.

She remembered the way she aimed to cut Anna down while she was distracted by Elsa's snowstorm.

Elsa looked down, knowing that Anna wouldn't want to speak to her right now.

"You seem troubled." Gaston pointed out.

"I'm… only worried about the mission." Elsa lied. She was worried about the fight with the demon, but at the moment it was another worry that plagued her mind.

"I see." Gaston said, believing her. "It has been some time since I've fought with the beast. I sometimes wonder if the match will end the same." Gaston seemed to let a bit of insecurity enter his voice.

Elsa looked at him. "What… what is the demon like?" She really didn't want to know, but she'd need to know what she was fighting.

Gaston looked to Elsa for a few moments before speaking. "A large abomination. Taller than a man. Covered in fur. Claws large enough to rip through even the heaviest of armor. Teeth sharp enough to tear a chunk out of you easily enough." He told her.

Elsa shuddered at the image. She should have figured it would be something like this.

Gaston stared at her for a few more seconds before continuing. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I feel you should know. I was not the only one to fight the beast." Gaston informed her. This gained Elsa's full attention as she wondered why she'd never heard of others besides Gaston. "Others fought beside me… though they were not as lucky as I. While I wounded the beast greatly, it was only off of the efforts of others." Gaston seemed to grow solemn, almost a bit fearful as well. "This monster is like nothing you have seen. I watched as it tore apart the two men with me. I watched as its fangs dug into their flesh. I watched as it dug its claws into one and ripped him into two just by spreading his arms."

Elsa just looked at him, growing more frightened with every sentence.

"And then there was the fair maiden…" Gaston said, his eyes suddenly looking down, shame crossing his face.

Elsa licked her lips, afraid to ask, but needing to. "Maiden?"

Gaston nodded. "I gave the full report to the queen… but it seems the council and queen agreed to withhold the information. They would much rather tell the story of how I bested the beast in combat and sent it running, rather than the truth of how it killed two men with no effort and ate the poor young woman who it kept prisoner." Gaston was looking at her now. "That's what he does. He captures women, stores them for later, and then… consumes them." Gaston said.

Elsa's breath was getting heavy, despite her being in a safe area right now. That was the beast she was going to fight. That was the demon that she was going to have to draw her sword against. A demon that could rip a man in half, a demon that captured girls and ate them.

Girls like Elsa.

Elsa shook so badly and was so frightened that she didn't even notice the brief smirk that crossed Gaston's face as he stared at her. By the time her eyes drew back to his own, he was back to looking solemn.

"Does he always… take girls?" She asked.

Gaston gave a grave nod. "Always." He watched Elsa shake for a good few seconds before continuing. "That is why I told you, to let you know what you were getting into." He said.

Elsa looked to him now. "What do you mean?" She asked, feeling like his words held a deeper meaning.

Gaston made sure they were alone before he drew closer to her. "You may have the rest of the kingdom fooled, but never could I not spot such a beautiful maiden such as yourself." He told her.

Elsa felt her breath catch in her throat. "I-I-I'm not-"

"There is no use in hiding it. I've known you to be a woman since the day we first met." Gaston told her sternly, wanting to make sure that Elsa knew that he knew.

Elsa looked at him, fearful. "You can't… you can't tell anyone. I need this job, my family-"

Gaston held up a hand to stop her. "Your reasons are your own." His hand came back down. "However I cannot allow another maiden to be killed in front of me. My honor as a knight would never allow it." Gaston told her.

"Please. If I don't do this. The queen may fire me. I need the money." Elsa pleaded, afraid that this man could ruin everything she'd achieved with just one word.

Gaston reached up to rub at his chin, thinking it seems. "I cannot allow you to follow me into the castle to fight the demon." Gaston told her, watching as Elsa deflated visibly. "However your queen will not have you fired." Elsa looked back up. "You will send Anna with me. Together we shall slay the beast, along with the other men. You will stay outside. I'll have you patrol the village, to pretend that you are a second line of defense just in case the demon attacks the town. Of course you will have other soldiers with you, but you will not participate in this battle. If what they say about Anna is true, then she and I will be all that is needed." Sir Gaston said, a smile spreading across his face.

Was this really true? Had all of Elsa's fears been alleviated so easily? She would not have to fight. She could send Anna in her place, to fight for her without Elsa needing to be beside her. This couldn't have been bad right? She would have been no good in a fight anyway. The fighting would have been done by Gaston and Anna in the first place. With this new plan, Elsa wouldn't have to be in needless danger. She could wait for Anna and Gaston to slay the beast.

Gaston gave her a handsome and kind smile, one that made her bow to him out of sheer joy and respect. "T-thank you. Thank you so much." And she meant it. This man had saved Anna weeks ago and now he was saving Elsa.

Gaston gave a nod. "Rise. I should be thanking you. Never could I witness another maiden fight and die. When the time comes, you need only command Anna to follow me and we shall slay the demon." Gaston told her kindly.

Elsa wanted to cry. She had never felt so relieved. "I will. I will let her know." Elsa told him, so happy to not have to fight another terrifying demon.

"Good… You go and finish your meal. We'll be moving out soon." Gaston told her, turning his back to her so that his smile would remain unseen.

"Thank you." Elsa whispered out once more, not knowing if she was thanking Gaston or whatever deity was watching out for her.

Elsa walked back to where she left Milo and Anna. To her great surprise, Milo was sitting beside Anna, his mouth going a mile a minute as he talked to her. Elsa was somewhat amazed that he had not been mauled. However she soon figured it should not come as a surprise. Anna had turned out to be more laid back than Elsa first imagined when she brought her into the city.

"Hey." Elsa greeted as she walked over.

Milo turned with a smile on his face. "Oh hey, Larsa! Wow, you never told me that she could talk to others! I mean sure, she doesn't understand everything, but she's been really-"

"What?" Elsa asked, brows beginning to join in the middle.

"She's a lot nicer than I thought. I almost feel bad for assuming she'd eat me if I ever tried speaking with her." Milo said happily.

That was when Elsa and Anna made eye contact. Anna quickly looked away, back down to the dirt as if it were so very fascinating.

"She… spoke to you?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah." Milo said easily.

Now Elsa was very confused. Sure, her lessons with Anna had been going great, especially since the establishment of the link. She had been teaching Anna so much and it was so much easier with the link. Still, she never imagined that Anna was capable of speech outside of their link yet. Perhaps it was because they only spoke through the link and never tried communicating without it. Maybe Anna was further along in her lessons than Elsa thought.

"That's… great." Elsa said, feeling a pang of jealousy that Milo got to talk with her first without the assistance of the link.

"She was just answering questions about her old village. Did you know that she was part of a society with others like herself? Did you know they have no way of speaking with one another and that they use intimidation and care to show their feelings?" Milo was very excited to say the least.

Elsa, feeling jealous, walked between the two and sat down, making sure they were separated. "I'm aware of her old village." Elsa said a bit hotly. She handed off the bag of jerky to Anna who took it gingerly. Elsa just stared at her, wondering just how much Anna could talk without the link now.

"Could you… leave us alone for a little bit, Milo?" Elsa asked, her eyes never leaving Anna's face. The girl was pretending not to notice as she snacked on a piece of jerky.

Milo, finally realizing that Elsa seemed be in some sort of mood, decided to do what he was told.

"Uh, sure." He answered, stepping away from the two and walking off to god knows where.

Alone, Elsa stared at Anna who was pretending not to notice.

"So… you can understand more than I thought. Guess our lessons have been paying off." Elsa said to her.

Anna continued to eat her jerky, staring at the ground.

"I know you can understand me. Or at least you get that i'm trying to talk with you." Elsa said. Before she would have never considered that Anna understood a word she was saying without the link, but thanks to Milo, she knew better.

Anna continued to chew, seeming to not understand a word Elsa was saying.

Elsa stared at her, trying to make her look back at her. When this did not work, she decided to do something a bit underhanded.

"You know. You're very beautiful, Anna." Elsa told her.

She watched as red began to stain Anna's cheeks.

"Ah-hah! I knew it! You can hear me just fine!" Elsa shouted out, feeling victorious.

Anna let out a pitiful groan.

"Only little." Anna said, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"You've been learning a lot faster since… well since you know." Elsa said, not wanting to bring up the link that Anna had closed off just yet.

Anna gave a nod. "Hear people sometimes." Anna informed her, letting her know that she could understand what people were saying sometimes. No longer was she ignorant to everything around her…. At least not always.

Elsa was amazed that Anna had come so far. Still, part of her should have expected it. She had been talking to Anna through the link for a few days before the queen called upon her service once again. Teaching Anna had been especially easier as well.

"I see." Elsa said. She wanted to approach a specific topic with Anna, but felt she wasn't ready just yet. "So… what did Milo ask about?"

"Village. Old times. Old home." She answered simply. While Anna had made leaps and bounds to understand a language, her grasp of it was not complete.

"He's a bit nosy." Elsa said with a smile, knowing that she didn't mind his nosiness.

"Lot of questions." Anna said.

"I'm surprised you didn't scare him off. It must have been annoying."

Anna bit down on a new piece of jerky. "Not bad. Talking nice. Like we…" Anna grew quiet, unable to finish.

Elsa sighed a big and slow sigh.

"Can we… talk like before? We can keep talking out loud. But… I want to make sure you really understand me." Elsa said, already she was prodding at Anna's mind, trying to re-establish the link.

Anna blocked her out. "Why?" She asked nervously.

"Because I have something to say… and I want to make sure you understand." Elsa told her.

Then Anna gathered her courage to ask a question that she feared the answer to.

"You… hate me?" Anna asked, looking pitiful as she seemed to expect the worst.

Elsa looked like someone slapped her. "Hate you? Why would I ever hate you?"

Anna was absently crunching on a piece of jerky as she answered.

"I get mad. I hurt. I… scare you." The last part seemed to be the hardest to say.

Elsa finally realized that she didn't have to worry about Anna being angry with her over what happened. Sure, she could still get mad, but it wasn't anger that had fueled Anna to close off the link.

She was worried that Elsa was afraid of her.

"Hey." Elsa grabbed Anna's face and guided it until Anna was forced to look at her. "I will never be afraid of you. I trust you too much for that." A partial lie, but mostly the truth. She wouldn't tell Anna that she feared for her life when Anna pinned her. What mattered was that Elsa was not afraid now. "besides," She smiled. "It didn't hurt that much when you knocked me down. I'm a tougher girl than that."

Anna looked into her eyes, searching for something.

Whatever it was, she did not find it.

The girl smiled as Elsa felt a warmth settle over her. A familiarity set in, one that had only started a few days ago, yet she felt she had always had with her.

Anna had let Elsa's feelings in, and in return, her own feelings flowed into Elsa. The connection was re-established.

_I'm happy. _Anna admitted, though Elsa was sure it was more a feeling than an actual thought meant to be transferred to her.

"We can keep talking out loud if you want." Elsa told her, smiling at the feeling of being connected again.

_Like this way. Speaking with mouth hard. Words funny. _Anna said through the link, the girl much preferring to speak with Elsa this way.

"Right… well I should start off by saying I'm sorry." Elsa said, feeling a bit ashamed as she remembered what she did. "I never should have used my power against you. I just… really wanted to win once. It was stupid of me." Elsa admitted.

_Not just you. Me too. I get angry, try to hurt. I'm sorry._ Anna told her, feelings of regret coming from her side of the link.

Elsa was glad she was good at concealing her feelings. Her feelings did not go through the link, so Anna was safe to assume whatever Elsa said was true.

"I knew you wouldn't hurt me." A lie, but Anna would never be able to tell.

Anna blushed a bit. _Like Elsa. No want to hurt._

"I know." Elsa told her.

Elsa could literally feel Anna's embarrassment, but also her giddy excitement, as she continued. _Always like Elsa. No hurt. Elsa nice. Beautifuller than all._

Now it was Elsa's turn to feel embarrassed as she realized where Anna was trying to take this conversation.

Elsa cleared her throat, doing her best not to blush at Anna's praise.

"So, I have great news." Elsa smiled, remembering the brief moment she shared with Gaston. "I won't need to fight during the mission." Elsa admitted, feeling another wave of relief wash over her. To be able to say it and for it to be true was definitely a good feeling.

Anna looked to her now. _No fight? We leave?_ Anna seemed confused and she had every right to be.

Elsa shook her head as she looked to Anna, smile still on her face. "We're still going. It's just that I won't have to fight. Sir Gaston… found out some things about me." She would have explained it to Anna, but it would have taken longer to explain why her being a girl was not acceptable in her society. "He doesn't want me to fight. So, I'll be staying at the village."

Anna tilted her head, still not understanding. _Why go? We no fight, we leave. Food __at rock hut __much better than here._ Anna was clearly referring to the food that was fed to her at the castle.

Elsa chuckled at her seemingly endless appetite. "Well we have to go. You'll be fighting with Gaston. You will take down the demon with him." Elsa watched as Anna's face turned to frustration as she tried to understand what this all meant. "Don't you see? I don't have to fight. I would only get in the way. Now that we understand each other, I can just tell you to go with Gaston." She noticed that Anna's face remained the same. "Don't tell me you're scared." Elsa smiled, attempting a joke with Anna.

The girl did not see it as one.

_No! No fear! I'm strong!_ Anna defended herself, the link suddenly filled with emotions of hot anger and pride.

Elsa nodded. "It was a joke, Anna. I know you're strong. Between both you and Gaston, the demon will be nothing." Elsa told her.

Anna still seemed to be confused and frustrated. _Why you not fight? I protect. I always protect. I take away fear._ Anna tried, her mind unable to grasp why Elsa would not fight alongside her.

Elsa merely looked to the ground before her, keeping her smile in place.

It was forced.

"I'll only slow you two down. I'm no good in a fight. I'm still training." Excuses, good ones to hide behind.

Anna stared at her for what felt like a long time. In reality it was only a few seconds before the girl turned back to her jerky.

_Okay._ That was it.

Elsa looked to her, finding that Anna was more interested in her food.

"You're not mad are you? It's just that it will be easier this way." The words of a coward.

Anna gave Elsa a smile, warmth coming through the link.

_Elsa train more. Fight later. _

The words and feelings were reassuring, yet Elsa still felt a pit of cold settle in her stomach. She wondered how well Anna could hide her own feelings. Surely the girl thought her a coward, thought of her as less because of this. Anna was a strong warrior, one who seemed to value strength over everything. Still, had she not told Elsa before that she didn't care if Elsa was weak? Those feelings had been sincere and Elsa knew better than to question them. Anna didn't deal in trickery, she was upfront and at times abrasive. She would not lie to Elsa, nor would she force fake feelings through the link just to reassure Elsa.

Anna did not see Elsa as less for her decision.

Elsa smiled at this.

"I promise, I'll get you a feast once we're back at the castle." Elsa told her while meaning every word of it. Anna's support deserved to be rewarded.

_Can have meat? Like first time?_Anna asked, excitement evident.

At first Elsa didn't understand, but soon her mind was flooded with images of the first meal that Anna had ever had that was cooked. It was the time when the queen had called her to breakfast, the same day where she was given her first mission. Anna wanted more of the food that was served to royalty.

She wondered how hard that would be to get.

"I'll… I'll do my best to get it, Anna." Elsa said, not having the courage to promise such a thing. She would never want to break a promise with Anna, too fearful of the outcome.

Anna beamed at her.

The rest of the trip mostly consisted of Anna's hungry thoughts. Even when all of the soldiers gathered up to get back on their horses, Anna was thinking of the first cooked meal she had ever experienced. Elsa could only smile as she rode on her horse, Anna latched onto her back with her arms around her waist. Her head was beginning to hurt with all of the images that Anna was sending her way. The girl was thinking about every meal she'd had at the castle, comparing them, but none seemed to hold up to that first bite of glorious cooked food. Elsa only sighed, acting as though it was such a pain. In reality though, she'd take a hundred headaches over Anna not speaking with her.

It was some few hours later that they arrived in the small village that was plagued by a demon. Elsa had seen the castle on the way in. Like she had been told, it was an old castle, one that almost seemed haunted in the twilight of the sun that was nearing its final descent in the sky. Gaston led them all into town, his horse ahead of everyone else. Already he was talking about who would be going to slay the beast and who would be left behind to 'protect' the village. It seems he planned on leaving a few soldiers with Elsa to help it seem as though there was more intent then to simply leave her behind.

"Anna." Elsa called, the girl still clinging to her back.

The images and constant feelings of hunger suddenly ceased.

Anna lifted her head and realized for the first time that they had entered a new village.

"It seems as though Gaston is going to go for the demon immediately before the sun has a chance to fully set. This is… where we part ways." Saying it out loud made Elsa feel sick. It only reminded her of how relieved she was to not have to go with Anna. She was indeed happy to not have to go, but suddenly the idea of having to send Anna to fight in her place felt wrong.

Anna made a small noise, whether it was one of agreement or just to let Elsa know that she heard, Elsa did not know.

Elsa got off the horse while Gaston called for soldiers that would be following him while instructing the rest to stay in the village.

"You… remember how to ride the horse right? You just give him a kick and he will follow the others." Elsa said, not really knowing why considering Anna had done this before.

_I remember. _Anna told her, looking down at the girl from atop her horse.

"Right… Just follow Gaston. I'll be waiting for you once you've killed the demon." Then Elsa felt she needed to add more. "I know you will. Because you're strong, Anna. Stronger than anyone I've ever met." She admitted.

Anna just smiled.

_And Elsa most beautifuller._

Elsa blushed, face turning angry as she looked up to Anna. "You should be focusing on the battle." She scolded.

Anna only laughed.

Eventually the time to depart did come. Gaston called for everyone and spurred his horse forward towards the old castle that was deep into the woods next to the town. Why they built a castle in the woods, Elsa did not know. She stayed, watching as Anna left. The redhead gave another look behind her at Elsa and smiled, her smile one that held all of the confidence that the girl possessed. She did not fear the demon and she knew she would not fall to it.

Her smile promised that she would return.

Elsa told herself not to worry. After all, they still had the link. Even with Anna traveling far away, she could still feel the girl, almost as though she were next to her. Although, Elsa did notice that the further and further Anna went, the weaker the link seemed to become, but never did it break. Elsa watched her go until she disappeared in the trees, horse and all.

"So… you're the famous Beast-Tamer."

Elsa turned to find a soldier standing beside her. His armor reminded her of the old armor she used to wear, though he was using a sword instead of a spear.

"Guess the rumors that you can command the beast really are true." He said, though he didn't seem very happy about it.

Elsa gave a nod. "I am her master." A lie. "I would prefer if you did not call her a beast though. She has a name." Elsa defended.

He gave a shrug. "Sure." Then he thrust his head towards the entrance to the village. "Why don't you keep a look out at the gate entrance. The rest of us will patrol and keep the entrance to the woods guarded." He more commanded than suggested.

Elsa saw no reason to argue, figuring he was left in charge while Gaston was away. She gave a nod and made her way to the gate entrance. As she walked back through the village and towards the gate, She let her hand rest upon her sword. It was something she had seen other knights do and thought it made them appear more intimidating. She didn't know why this mattered right now, but she didn't want to appear as some coward who was left in the village. She could at least make the villagers think she was a real swordsman for the kingdom.

And so she stood at the gates. She found that she got bored after only thirty minutes as she stared at the road that led to the village. She already knew that the only threat was in the old castle and it wouldn't come from this direction even if it did break out. She tried to keep herself busy by thinking of things. She hoped that Milo would be okay, seeing as he seemed to be picked to go with the others. She knew Anna was fine, the link was wearing thin, but was still there. It seemed that Anna was too far to send her emotions through the link as casually as she normally did. No longer was Elsa plagued with scenes of food and constant growls of anticipation at the thought of eating.

She realized that she oddly missed it already.

For some reason, Elsa began to wonder how she'd gotten to this point. She was just a farm girl not that long ago. The most arduous task that she'd had was milking a stubborn cow. She never dreamed of anything more. Farm work was all she needed. She didn't need to get married and have children, she could leave that task to her brothers. All Elsa had ever needed was the love of her family and simple farm related tasks to keep her busy. However, when the winter came early this year, Elsa had to help support the family. Job after job was taken until she wound up as a soldier.

Then she met Anna.

She wouldn't forget the first meeting with Anna. Not the moment where Anna first appeared in her humanoid shape and nearly scared her half to death, but rather she would remember when Anna ran her down in her beast form, blood on her maw as she stared Elsa down, ready to end her life. Compared to everything that had happened, that was probably one of the more terrifying moments to occur. She chuckled as she thought about it. Anna was so worried that Elsa feared her. Elsa wondered what the girl would think if Elsa admitted that the most fearful moment of her life was one that Anna caused. Still… so long as she lived, she would go back and redo it all. Anna, despite their first meeting, had turned out to be a dear friend, Elsa's best friend.

That thought made her realize something.

Elsa never really had friends. She was much too busy staying indoors with her family or tending to a farm. Sure, she knew people that lived around her modest home. She knew the people she sold goods to and always made sure to greet them with a smile when it came time to sell off the farm goods, but none of them were friends. Even as a child she didn't make friends. This though, could be contributed to the fact that she was too busy concealing her feelings rather than trying to make friends. What was more important? Making friends, or making sure that her power didn't kill her? This also made her realize that fear had been a natural part of her life since she was a child. And why wouldn't it? How many children could honestly say that they had died, that they had bore the pain that came with it, and were suddenly given a second chance to live again. Elsa was a fearful child because she knew something that other kids didn't.

She wasn't invincible and death was kind to no one.

While other kids feared falling down and gaining a boo boo, Elsa feared having her veins frozen. It took her years to control it, years to learn to live with it. She was much too busy to make friends. Tending to animals and farm work was nice as well. It gave her something to do, something to take her mind off of the fact that if she ever lost control she would lose her life. Elsa's power… no, her _curse_, was one that was fueled by emotion. She had learned that long ago. Whether it be fear, or anger, or even happiness, she would feel the chill as her power exited her fingers.

It was the time where it didn't exit her fingers that worried her.

"Excuse me, young knight." Someone called.

Elsa turned to find a young woman approaching her, a woman that was perhaps just slightly younger than herself.

"Please, forgive me for bothering you, Sir Knight, however… a question is all I wanted to ask." She said hesitantly, fearing that Elsa held status and therefore that her time was worth more than that of a lowly peasant's.

Elsa blinked at the behavior before realizing what was going on.

"P-please. I am no knight. I'm just a simple soldier." Elsa said, trying to banish any thoughts of this woman thinking she was someone that commanded such respect.

"Oh? Is that true? I am sorry… Your armor seemed different and you seemed… _above _normal soldiers." The woman said, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Elsa realized that her armor was different then that of a normal soldier. It was not nearly as heavy or thick, and the pieces not so large. Clearly the queen had been thinking of her smaller frame when she gave it to her. It was more nimble though less sturdy and easier to pierce.

"Above? No, I am just a soldier." It wasn't entirely true. However she figured if she told the girl that she was part of the queen's select few, then she may end up commanding more respect than a knight.

"I see." The girl said, now able to look Elsa in the eye without feeling embarrassed because of her low status in society. "Well, then… Soldier. There is a question that many of us would like to ask." She said.

That was when Elsa took a look around and noticed that there were a few peasants that were looking her way. All of them seemed curious, though afraid to approach. Elsa now knew it was because they assumed her to be some sort of knight.

"Is there something I can help with?" Elsa asked, turning more towards the woman instead of having her body facing the front gates.

"It's just… We were not informed that soldiers would be arriving in our village. Is there a reason you are here?" She asked. Though she now knew Elsa to be of a lower status than she first thought, the girl still seemed a bit hesitant to ask questions.

Elsa seemed confused at that. "We are here to slay the demon of course."

The girl looked frightened to say the least. "The demon? It is back?" She questioned, scared of the answer.

Now Elsa was really confused. "We are here because there were reports of the demon being sighted and maidens being taken hostage. He is in the old castle, yes?"

The girl shook her head slowly. "Sir, we have not heard of the demon since the first time he stole a maiden named Belle. He was thought to be vanquished the last time soldiers arrived months ago."

Elsa looked away from the girl and to the peasants around. They did seem worried to see soldiers here. Elsa had expected them to be happy, to be reassured of their safety now that they were here. These were not the looks of peasants in need, but rather ones that feared the unknown. This made no sense however. The queen had said that there was word of a demon here. Gaston had also confirmed this at the table. Why would the peasants lie though? Why did they seem worried to see soldiers instead of happy? If what this girl was saying is true, then there has been no sighting of the demon or any maidens disappearing.

If there was no demon… then what did she send Anna to fight?

That was when her head suddenly felt as though it were split open. Her ears nearly bled at the sound of a deafening roar. Images of blood and battle entered her vision briefly, so briefly that she couldn't even make out what was happening.

She regained her senses after a brief moment, the headache going away just as quickly as it came, yet the feeling of dread remained. When she looked around, she realized that no one had heard the roar, none seemed concerned for it and were still more concerned with Elsa's reason for being there.

No one heard it.

No one but Elsa.

And the way it sounded… almost like-

"Anna." Elsa whispered.

"I'm sorry?" The woman asked.

Elsa ran off. Quickly she ran for the trees, the same area where she saw Anna disappear before. There was a feeling in her stomach, one that spoke of ill things about to happen. Something was wrong, something was wrong with Anna. She eventually made it to the trees, to the area where Anna and the other soldiers left. What she found was two guards and two horses stationed there.

Elsa didn't bother saying a word to them, she ran straight for the horse, and with strength she didn't know she had, she pulled herself atop it in one go. The soldiers were shouting something at her, whatever it was she didn't know. Elsa kicked the horse on its sides and spurred it into a run. The horse ran, flying through the forest as Elsa felt something pulling her. Something told her where to go, let her know where Anna was. She was sure it was the link, as the closer and closer she got, the more she could feel Anna. Feel her rage, her anger. Something had upset her, something was causing her to fight. Elsa saw another image of a blade coming towards her, towards Anna. It connected, slashing Anna across her gut. Elsa reeled over on the horse, the pain shooting through her as though she were the one injured. She didn't understand what was going on. Where was Anna? Who was she fighting if the demon was not here? Why could she feel the pain, why did she feel so much anger at the moment.

Maybe she would have figured it out, but she was suddenly stopped as another horse ran in front of her own and cut her off. Her horse reeled back, standing up on both its back legs. It sent Elsa tumbling off. She hit the ground, scraping her arm along a rock in the forest. The pain meant nothing however, not when she felt another slash of cold steel across her arm.

Elsa stood up, angry and hurting as she looked to see the two soldiers from before now atop one horse, the same one that had cut her off.

"Hey! You were told to watch the front gate!" One of them said, the same one that assigned her there.

"I can't. I have to go. Anna is… Anna is…" And Elsa could only wail as another cut slashed her across the back, the pain burning despite the coldness of the steel.

"What the? Did he figure it out?" One soldier asked.

"Seems like it." Another answered.

The soldiers dismounted their horse and walked over to Elsa who was still holding her stomach, trying to stop bleeding that wasn't really there.

"Move." Elsa commanded, attempting to walk through them.

One of the soldiers pushed her, the shove not meant to knock her down, but she went down anyway.

"Man you're weak. The mighty Beast-Tamer really is all talk. I heard you can't actually do anything. I heard it's all that damned beast of yours." The soldier who pushed her taunted her.

"I hear he trains with that weird guy. The one with the thing on his face. If that's the best partner you can get, you must really be weak." The other said.

Elsa yelled out as more pain blossomed in her body, so much was beginning to hurt that she couldn't even tell where she had been cut now.

"Move!" Elsa screamed out as she barely stood and tried to ram past them.

She received a knee to the gut for her trouble.

She fell to the ground before them.

"How'd he even figure out that Gaston was going to kill his pet?" One asked.

"I don't know… but you know the orders." The other said.

Elsa heard as they unsheathed their weapons. Still, she only focused on what was said. Gaston planned to kill Anna? He was going to kill Anna. He was hurting Anna right now. Her pain was because of him. This pain was because of him. It hurt. It hurt so much and still Anna fought.

"Move." Elsa commanded lowly, her face hidden as she looked to the ground.

"Enough of this. Just kill him." One said.

He was suddenly gagging on his words as an icicle of inhumane size jutted from the ground, piercing his throat.

"What the fuck?!" An appropriate response from his partner.

He was not spared either as another jutted from the ground and pierced through his gut, leaving him suspended on it as he slowly died out. Elsa paid them no attention. She stood and walked between the two pillars of ice. Luckily the horses had not run, and she quickly took hold of one and grabbed onto the holster and pulled herself up. She gave the horse a kick, spurring it on.

Not once did she turn to look back at the bodies of the dying men.

Elsa rode on, a bit of blood in her hair and covering parts of her shoulders from the men that tried to stop her. One thought was on her mind, one name, one action.

_Kill Gaston. Kill Gaston. Kill. Kill._

She arrived at the castle after following the link for several minutes. She ran inside, immediately finding blood and carnage upon her entry to the lobby at the entrance. She looked around, finding several dead men. Most of them suffered from claws to the throat or a fatal wound to the gut. The only thing that halted her thoughts and made her stop was the sight of Milo next to one of the bodies. The young man was still breathing, though he too had been wounded.

Elsa ran over, her mind becoming less focused on one task and becoming hers again.

"Milo!" She called out.

Milo looked up, seemingly in disbelief at the sight of Elsa.

"Larsa?" He smiled and tried to laugh, though it only pained him and sent him to holding at his stomach as he bent further into himself.

That was when Elsa noticed the slash across his stomach. The size and shape made it clear that it was Anna's doing. Based on the size however, Elsa was sure that Anna had not transformed. She had done this in her human form.

She took a look around and saw all of the dead bodies.

Anna had done this in her human form.

"Milo…" Elsa didn't know what to say. Had he tried to attack Anna too? Was he an enemy as well? "What happened?" She tried instead.

"It was Gaston." Milo said, pain filling every word. "He's crazy or something. He made this whole speech about slaying Anna and gaining prestige. I don't know… I just know he didn't expect Anna to strike first." Milo tried to laugh again, hurting himself.

"What?" Elsa asked.

"The idiot thought she couldn't speak. He didn't know she could understand. He began to rant about it once we arrived at the castle. Anna… she didn't do anything though, didn't say anything. When he drew his sword though… she just… god she just…" And Milo shook his head.

He didn't need to answer. The bodies told their own story.

"I tried to help her. I tried to calm everyone down, to try and figure out just what the hell was going on. But she… when I walked up to her… God, Larsa…. The look on her face." He looked up to Elsa then, a small smile on his face. "Guess she didn't trust me even though we talked." He said sadly, looking down at the slash across his gut that told Elsa everything she needed to know.

"You'll be fine… I'm going to get you help. But I need to know where Anna is." Elsa said.

Milo gave a weak nod. "Gaston… the coward… He hid behind everyone else. Made them take shots at Anna first. She ran after taking half of them down… I think she was too hurt. Larsa… I don't think she's-"

"She's alive." Elsa said firmly. She knew it to be true, the link was there.

Milo just looked at her before giving another tiny smile. "Right. She ran up the stairs… beyond that I don't know." He said, giving a weak point to the huge stairs in the lobby that led to the next floor.

Elsa looked to the stairs before looking back to Milo. "I'll be back. I just… I just have to find Anna first." She told him.

Milo nodded again. "Take your time. I won't leave." He tried a joke, though he didn't dare try to laugh again.

Elsa stood up and ran off again. She needed to hurry if she wanted to save both Anna and Milo. She ran up the stairs, finding stains of blood on the rug as she went. Some of it, she knew belonged to Anna. As she ran through the castle, she caught glimpses, images of a battle she was not present for. She saw Anna running through the halls, saw as she hid behind a corner and waited for the fastest soldier to catch up. She watched as Anna grabbed the man the moment he turned the corner and ripped his throat out with her sharp teeth. She could feel the old feelings that were felt as Anna ran through these halls.

_Survive. Get back to Elsa. Live. Kill Gaston._

Elsa would find more and more images as she ran higher and higher still through the castle. She would see images of Anna ambushing soldiers, she would see a time when Anna was cornered and forced to fight multiple enemies, suffering more and more wounds. She watched as each and every soldier fell to her, watched as Anna ran, not because she was afraid, but because she would make it back to Elsa.

Anna would make it back. She would.

That was what Elsa thought as she came to the highest floor of the castle. She found a room at the top, one that held a balcony with a broken window. This was where the memories ended, where she didn't need them anymore to know where Anna was. She ran over to the broken window and climbed out, finding that the window led to the roof of the castle. Elsa jumped out, feet landing on the stone as she looked around. It was nearly dark now, the sun nearly set. She tried to feel the link, tried to feel Anna, but the feeling was weak.

"Anna?!" She called out as she looked around the roof.

A weak and pitiable voice answered in her mind.

_Elsa… _

Elsa turned like a hawk focused on her prey as she pinned where the voice came from and where the link ended. She ran across the roof to the area behind her. That was where she found Anna.

Where she found Gaston.

Anna was on the ground, hurt, bleeding, though still she bared her teeth in defiance as Gaston stood with a boot on her neck.

"Get away from her!" Elsa yelled.

Gaston turned to see her.

"You?! What are-" he stopped, shaking his head as he realized it didn't matter. He smiled cruelly at Elsa. "Come to watch your pet die?" he questioned.

Elsa stepped along the roof, balancing herself as she got closer and closer to the scene.

"Ah! Don't get any closer, stupid girl!" He yelled, raising his sword to cut Anna down.

"No!" Elsa screamed.

Gaston laughed at this. "What? You cannot be serious. You actually care about this beast? This monster?" He questioned.

"Why are you even doing this?! The queen will have your head!" She tried to be threatening.

Gaston laughed again. "Oh please. Who will be believed… You? Some foolish girl who has no place in war? The liar who claimed to be a boy? The idiot who was stupid enough to care for a monster? Or will the queen believe me? A trusted knight who says that the beast lost control of itself and murdered the soldiers under my command. Be smart for once, girl." He told her.

"If you even dare to try and hurt her, you will regret it." Elsa warned, already feeling her fingertips tingling in anticipation.

Gaston turned back to Anna, seeing that she truly had no strength to fight. He could cut her down easily. This however was not exactly what he wanted.

He looked to Elsa. "Enough of this nonsense. Go back to being a proper maiden after this." He said insultingly. He looked back down to Anna and stepped harder on her neck. "Change you foul beast! Do it!"

"Stop it!" Elsa shouted.

Gaston took his foot off her neck and gave a swift kick to Anna's side, the girl whimpering from the pain. She was too wounded, too hurt to fight back.

"Why won't she change?!" He made a noise of frustration as he raised his sword. "Whatever, your head will have to do well enough in the state its in."

Before he could swing his sword down, a cold began to creep up his leg. At first he mistook it for a chill, but suddenly the cold began to hurt as it pierced his foot deeply. He looked down, dropping his sword in fright as he watched ice crawl its way up his leg. He tried to pull his foot away, but found it was frozen to the roof. Gaston cried out as the pain in his foot became too much. The ice continued to travel up his leg, freezing blood as it went. He tried, as an act of desperation, to pry it off with his fingers, but alas it was like trying to chip away at stone.

He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, one that was less fear and more cold. He turned to find Elsa standing beside him, looking down at him as he was now kneeling on the ground and trying to free his foot. She looked at him icily, no sympathy in her eyes. Gaston turned angry at the sight.

"What foul sorcery is this? Are you a witch?! Another demon from the south?! You monster! I'll cut you down!" He threatened, reaching for the sword he dropped.

With his foot rooted in the ground however, he was unable to reach it.

Elsa said nothing, only watching as the ice slowly engulfed him.

Gaston cried out in pain at the feeling.

"Wait!" He yelled. "Wait! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't ever try to hurt her again! I'll leave! Is that what you want?! I'll leave the castle! I'll leave the kingdom!" He looked at her, desperate and scared. "Just don't do this! Please!" He begged.

And Elsa almost let him go, almost felt for him. In that moment she saw herself. Saw how scared he was, saw the desperation and remembered the way she would act the same. She too would beg, would promise anything to live. She was a coward much like he was right now. And to make him experience the cold? It was something she knew, something that killed her once. She never would have imagined she could put someone else through that pain.

One look at Anna's pained form as the girl watched on though… that was all it took to make her decision.

The air around them turned to a frosty chill, Gaston watching as flurries of snow began to whip around them. Elsa only stared at him, watching as he began to shiver, watching as her power began doing something she knew it could do all too well. Still, this wasn't enough, it wasn't enough to watch him bowing and shivering. It wasn't enough to know he could no longer feel his fingers.

The cold wasn't cold enough.

Elsa felt the ice tingling in her fingers as she raised her hand and put it to Gaston's face. She offered no words, no final statement to tell him of his crimes and how he'd pay for them. She simply let the magic go. She watched as his veins turned blue before freezing, watched as the pain filled his face. His mouth was open in a silent scream, nothing but small sounds coming out as the pain was too much to even voice it. She knew the feeling, knew what it was like to have your blood turn to ice. She held no sympathy though, none after what he'd done. She only watched as the ice took over, watched as he went from a warm man, to a cold statue of ice. His face would be forever stuck in that final moment of pain.

She froze him… just like she'd been frozen so long ago.

She took her hand away when it was over, staring at his tormented face. Perhaps she did what she did next to not see his face, or maybe she wanted there to be no proof of what happened. Either way, Elsa pushed him over and let his body slide down the roof and hit the ground below. He shattered into multiple pieces, no blood to be spilled as it was all frozen.

"Elsa." A weak call.

Elsa turned to find Anna still on the ground, watching her.

"Anna!" She called, running over. The tingling in her fingertips going away as she fell to the ground and grabbed at Anna. "Gods… Anna! I'm sorry!" She yelled out, looking at the various wounds that Anna had acquired in her fight to survive. What had she done? Why had she sent Anna to fight alone? Why did she not see the looks on the peasants faces as she entered the village.

She didn't notice because she was too relieved at not having to fight.

Tears fell down Elsa's face as she realized that Anna was the way she was now because Elsa was a coward. Her fear of fighting, of dying, had put Anna in this place. She was the reason that Anna was so hurt. She could have fought with Anna when Gaston turned on them, she could have been there, to share the hurt and pain.

Instead she was watching the front gates, avoiding battle.

"Elsa…" Anna called.

Elsa looked down to the girl in her arms. Only then did she notice that Anna was shivering, cold from the use of Elsa's powers. While the attack may have been meant for Gaston, Anna was close enough to feel it's icy chill.

Her eyes were fixated on a few strands of Anna's hair that had turned platinum.

Just like her own hair…

Just like before when she…

Elsa quickly threw the thoughts away. Now was not the time, not with Anna hurt like this. She needed to get back, back to the village to seek help.

"I'm going to get you help." Elsa told her as she stood and lifted the girl who was heavier than she imagined. She stumbled a bit, holding Anna bridal style as she carefully made her way across the roof and back to the window she came out of.

"Elsa…" Anna called again.

"It's okay, Anna. I'm going to bring you home. I promised you a delicious meal, remember?" Elsa asked, smiling a tearful smile down at Anna.

Anna reached up and wiped away one of the tears, causing Elsa to stop moving just as she re-entered the castle.

"Elsa… strong. So strong." Anna said with a smile.

And Elsa could feel it through the link, could feel the way Anna praised her for defeating Gaston, for rushing to her aid. Elsa hated it, every thought was too good for her. She was nothing but a coward, one who ran at the first sign of danger. She should not be rewarded with praise for coming to a fight late and barely cleaning up.

"Stop it… Anna." Elsa said weakly, continuing to walk.

"Strong. Elsa good." Anna told her, the words obviously painful to say in her state.

"Stop it…" Elsa pleaded.

But Anna wouldn't stop. Anna would go on to send warm feelings through the link. Feelings that told Elsa how happy Anna was to see her, how glad she was that Elsa came. None of it was negative, not a single horrible thought from Anna. When it came to Elsa, Anna only had good things to think.

And Elsa knew she was too pure… too good to manipulate her with false words.

"Stop it…" Elsa asked again, feeling like she wanted to break down.

Anna didn't stop.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Right... so this chapter was cut in half basically. It was supposed to be longer, but I'm just having trouble finishing it for some reason. I've been at it for at least a week and for some reason I cannot get the scenes right. So anyway, I'm cutting it in half for now so that you guys at least get something on my normal update day.

FateKitty: Really? Glad you're loving it! Makes my day to see a new reviewer.

Lance58: Elsa as a mercenary? Hmm. That could be entertaining. But alas, Elsa wants the money for her family and at the same time wants to keep Anna. Who knows how well Anna would be received if she wasn't working for the queen herself. But damn... now I want Elsa as a mercenary lol.

Guest: Glad you're enjoying. As for the streak in Anna's hair? Hmm. Don't worry, I've thought about what it means, its not just there for the sake of keeping up with the original movie. And don't worry, would I really kill Milo off so easily... (Flashbacks to chapter 9) Hmm... well... maybe.

Darratato: So many speculations... I LOVE IT! I would love to go into the speculations and dodge around them... but I worry that I could potentially spoil something by accident. So I'll just say... maybe I have things planned for certain characters and maybe I have some things planned for the future. (Also you're one of the few who trusts Milo, I find that funny for some reason).

Nara375: Hey! Just to clear it up, All of the soldiers that came with them are dead. Elsa killed the two that tried stopping her and Anna killed the rest. Also you were totally right about Gaston, I love how you were like the only person to doubt him from the beginning and guess that he knew Elsa's gender. When you first mentioned Gaston I did my best not to reveal that he knew about Elsa lol. I've been saving that chapter since Gaston first came around. You were too smart for me though, I couldn't hide it.

Guest (2): Yeah the end of the last chapter was supposed to be quick, with Elsa not understanding what was going on. I do remember having trouble writing it properly and ended up leaving it the way it was when I wanted to change it. Glad you liked it anyway.

DreamWalker: That's right! Shame on you doubting poor Milo!... or is he telling the truth about how Anna wounded him... hmm... we haven't gotten Anna's side of the story yet... oops... did I make you doubt him again? :)

KingBoulevard: I sent you a PM to respond to some things and let you know I read your reviews. Either way, I'm glad to say again that I'm happy to see a new face reviewing not only this story but others I have as well. Also, Yes, I would say that Anna was totally flirting, or at least trying to express what she felt to Elsa.

Novert A-Rex: Why thank you kind sir! Who I am though? Just another new writer who hopes their stories are entertaining.

Okisawa Hinari: Yeah! Screw Gaston! Enjoy being a bunch of frozen pieces you evil bastard!

Abel: Perhaps. I won't say anything because I don't want to spoil. But the image of her waiting and drinking wine will be forever etched into my memory.

jennifersmith2198: Ah... poor aladdin. I had to do it to him though lol. Also suspicious of everyone? Uh oh. I feel kind of evil. Probably because I know things about characters that others don't... but I wouldn't dare spoil anything. Glad to see another review from you.

Okay that should do it for the reviews. Wow that is the most I've ever received for one chapter. Makes me feel bad for having to cut this one in half... but the story must go on!

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Loneliness. It was a feeling that Elsa had become used to. So used to it in fact that she didn't even know it existed after awhile. It was a part of her, normal for her. She never really thought about it when she had a loving family and a job to do on the farm. There were brief moments when it would rear its head and remind her that it existed. Moments like when she saw kids playing with one another when she was growing up. Moments like when she caught a young couple kissing outside when she was a teenager. She wasn't immune to the emotion, so much as she learned to live with it.

Then came Anna.

Anna ripped the lonely right out of here like the beast she was. The girl was always at her side, always there. Even before they could properly communicate, Elsa would find herself saying things to Anna and Anna would respond with rough noises. Anna had always been there since their introduction. For the first time she had a friend, one who was so strong that she did not fear the ice taking them away. Or maybe it was less that and more that she had control over it now in her adult years. Who knows… either way, Anna was there, as a friend, as something so much more.

Now she was passed out and bloody atop a horse because of Elsa.

Elsa would have rode the horse with her, would have kicked the horse to run as fast as it was capable to get her to town… but she couldn't.

There was no room, considering Milo was atop the horse as well.

Thankfully the man had been alive when Elsa came back towards the lobby with Anna in her arms. He had passed out, but he was breathing. She wound up hefting both of them onto the horse, a truly impressive feat that no one would believe she could have pulled off. Still, the best she could manage was getting them to lay with their stomachs over the horse's back. Well, Anna had not been on her stomach at first. Anna had passed out while Elsa was walking the horse. It was the sudden sound of a body hitting the floor that alerted Elsa to this. Needless to say she had panicked something fierce, immediately assuming the worst when she turned to find Anna's body on the ground unmoving. Elsa found that she was still breathing during a frantic check, and so she ended up tossing Anna over the horse as well. There was no room for her to climb on board and so she was forced to walk the horse.

She felt alone as she walked through the forest at night. Funny how Elsa could feel alone with two of her only friends next to her. She did though. She wanted someone to talk to, someone to share her troubles with. Even if Anna or Milo were awake, what would it accomplish. She could talk to neither of them. Both of them had been hurt by her actions. She couldn't share her pain with them when she had caused them much more. She wished for someone new, someone who didn't know of her past deeds. She wanted someone she could start fresh with, someone who wouldn't judge her because they didn't know her.

She wanted a shoulder to cry on.

There was no one though, the forest at night was bereft of any intelligent life. Who was she to talk to? The owl that was making noise in the trees? The small lizard that scurried across her boot as she walked? No, there was no one. She would be forced to walk alone, eyes staring at the dirt road as her memories constantly reminded her of what she'd done and what almost happened. She'd nearly lost both Anna and Milo.

And for what?

She still didn't understand why Gaston did what he did. The only ones that could tell her were both knocked out and potentially dying on top of the horse she'd rode here upon. Was the man truly mad? Was there a purpose behind all of this? Was he ordered to do it? By whom?

She thought of the queen that didn't inform her properly on her first mission.

Was the queen out to get her?

The thought didn't make sense. There was no reason for the queen to go through all of this, to go behind everyone's back and try and get Anna and her killed during a mission. If the queen wanted Anna and her gone, a simple word was enough. She promoted them to her select few. The queen couldn't have been a part of this… so why?

Maybe the man really did have a screw loose.

The sound of a growl interrupted her thoughts.

Elsa immediately stopped. The sound of growling wasn't something she was unaccustomed to, after all, for a long time it was all Anna could really do as a way to communicate. This however, was not Anna. The growl held a threat, the sound coming from a nearby beast. On instinct, Elsa backed away towards the horse, towards Anna. Even now, while the girl was unconscious, the cowardly Elsa still sought her protection. Blue and frightened eyes looked around, searching for danger.

Another growl.

Elsa watched a paw step out from the forest, more of the body revealing until she was face to face with a wolf. The beast eyed her hungrily, inching closer as it assessed just how much work would have to go into taking Elsa down. Clearly it did not think much as it inched closer and closer with no fear of backing down. Elsa thought to try and intimidate it, to scare it away, so she yelled out as loud as she could at it.

That's when more eyes began to light up behind the wolf.

Elsa watched in horror as more wolves joined the first. Elsa could see that there was four of them, enough to scare her away from trying to intimidate them again. Elsa backed up until she hit the horse, the poor thing already startled and ready to run without Elsa bumping into it. With the horse at her back however, Elsa remembered her two unconscious friends. Now that she thought about it, it was likely their bleeding wounds that attracted the wolves. They weren't here for Elsa or the horse, but for the two passed out.

There was a sick and twisted thought that entered her mind briefly at this new knowledge.

Throw one of them to the wolves and run with the other. Sacrifice one to save the rest.

The thought didn't make her sick… didn't make her disgusted… No, it made her angry. She was mad at herself for even being capable of thinking it. It was just like when she tried escaping from Anna's old villagers. How could she even think to sacrifice others to save herself? She wouldn't, couldn't. Just the image of the wolves feasting on Anna or Milo's corpse was enough to fuel her into what she did next.

She drew her sword, the blade still clean from a lack of use.

Elsa yelled out again, making two of the wolves step back an inch. The intimidation might have worked to scare away one wolf, but with four, they stood their ground. One wolf grew bold enough to step within range of Elsa's weapon, another inch and he would lunge for her. Elsa didn't give him the chance, swinging out her blade and forcing the wolf to retreat. Now the wolves began to bark and growl, trying to scare her. The intimidation tactic was working, but she dared not show it to the animals. Elsa took a step forward, yelling out again as she swung her sword, making all of the wolves back away. She couldn't fall here. She couldn't die and leave these animals to eat the only two friends she's had since the start of her curse.

She heard the sound of the horse's stressful call.

Elsa turned just in time to see several wolves begin to surround the horse and bark at it. There were more. The four from before were just a distraction while the rest snuck up on the horse. They barked and growled, scaring the horse as best they could. Before Elsa could even think to help the horse, the four from before growled and closed the distance with her. She quickly turned and swiped at them, yelling to scare them back.

The horse whinnied in distress again.

Once again Elsa looked, only this time in horror as the horse reared back on its back two legs and stood. Her unconscious friends rolled off the horses back and hit the floor. To make matters worse, the horse stormed off after that, two wolves giving chase to it. That still left nearly the entire pack for Elsa to deal with however. She ran back to the bodies of her friends, swinging out her blade at a wolf that grew bold enough to bite at one of Milo's boots. The wolf dodged her with agility that almost reminded her of Anna. She took up a stance around her friends, looking around herself to gauge just how bad the situation was.

It couldn't have been worse.

There were less than a dozen wolves, but still closer to a dozen than they were not. They had her surrounded, all of them inching closer and jumping back at times when she swiped at the ones who got to close. Elsa realized after probably the tenth swipe of her sword, that they were tiring her out, waiting for her to get weaker before lunging.

She realized this too late as her breath began to get heavy.

Thinking quickly, she thought to use her ice. She imagined the spears of ice that would come from the ground and impale her targets. It was the only way. Her left hand began to tingle, the feeling of power all too familiar. The ice was hers to command, hers to control. She could kill a few wolves and force them to retreat with it. She would do it, to save her friends.

She looked to Anna, hoping that a reminder of her friend's face would give her the courage to do what she needed to.

She caught sight of the strip of blonde hair in her head.

A fear went through her, fear that she would accidentally lose control of her powers and harm both Anna and Milo. What if the ice impaled them instead? How would she ever live with the knowledge that she murdered them?

That was when it happened.

Suddenly Elsa screamed out as pain blossomed in her left hand, starting at her fingertips. It was a pain she knew too well. She could feel the cold settle over her fingers, feel the blood freezing her hand. A thousand needles blossomed under her skin and stabbed at her tender flesh. She fell to a knee, dropping her sword. With her guard down, the leading wolf wasted no time. Elsa screamed out again as a muzzle attached to her left wrist, teeth penetrating her flesh. The wolf pulled at her, a natural instinct to try and rip her apart to kill her. The other wolves descended on her then, one of them biting at her shoulder that was armored. Another bit at her right arm, scratching the flesh as Elsa managed to rip her arm away before it could clench down properly.

This was it. This was how she was going to die. She was going to fail her friends who needed her. She was going to be eaten alive, no one around to hear her screams. Milo would die. Anna would die. Not to the southern isles' troops, not to the Half-Beasts who once hunted her down. No, Elsa was going to die to a pack of wolves, a pack of animals.

A roar that shook the very ground sounded out.

Suddenly the weight of the wolves was no more as they were ripped away. Elsa looked on as a large form swatted away the wolf that had grabbed her wrist, the teeth leaving a nasty gash from the force of the removal. Elsa could do little more than nurse her wrist by placing her hand over it. She thought to reach for her sword, but the pain and fear held her back. Instead, she tried to gather what was happening. Another roar made her eyes alight on the huge figure that took a stance in front of her. The wolves surrounded it, barking and growling, doing their best to scare away this new monster in order to continue with their easy meal. The huge beast roared again, slapping away another wolf that lunged at it.

It was only for a brief moment, but for a few seconds Elsa believed that Anna had somehow transformed and had come to her rescue. However this thought was snuffed out when she turned to see an unconscious Anna still next to an unconscious Milo. She looked back at the fight going on around her, noticed then that the beast that was fighting the wolves was some strange bipedal monster. It was large, easily five times the wolves' size. Stranger yet was the huge cape around the beast that swayed as it fought with the wolves. Elsa watched on, clutching at her bleeding arm as the beast knocked a wolf into a tree, breaking its spine and killing it instantly.

Elsa realized that this monster could easily come for her next.

She turned to Anna and Milo, wondering how she was going to carry them both. The answer to her problem was that she simply couldn't. She would have to choose one, to abandon the other and run with one one in her arms. She told herself she couldn't choose, told herself she wouldn't. She would pick up her sword and fight this monstrosity as well, to defend her friends.

Her mind screamed for her to take Anna and run.

It was cruel, a horrible thought to have. Milo however would be far heavier, the fact that he was a boy and was wearing armor would make hefting him and running a real problem. Anna would be lighter, only wearing simple clothes that Elsa found in the wardrobe of her room. Despite her muscle, Anna would be easier to carry. It wasn't this cold and logical thinking that made her feel cruel however.

It was the simple fact that she would always choose Anna over him, even if the girl were somehow heavier.

It made her feel like scum to know she could value one friend over the other so much.

The giant beast from before roared again, drawing Elsa's attention. She watched as all of the wolves descended on him, one after another they jumped on him to bite at him. Elsa assumed this was it, assumed that the mighty beast that had likely come to steal a meal would now die.

She was wrong.

The beast with the cape rolled and wrestled with them. It smashed one of their heads in with its fist. Another found its throat torn out by its claws. She watched in amazement as the beast began taking their numbers down one by one. Eventually, after losing so many, the few remaining wolves made a retreat. They ran with their tails tucked between their legs, frightened after losing so many of their pack mates. The large beast gave another roar at their retreating backs, driving the point home that he was the victor. It was then that he turned to Elsa, the battle over and now only the spoils of victory remained. For the briefest moment, Elsa almost thought it was some impossibly large and hairy man. The blue eyes that looked at her were nothing short of human.

Yet the form…

Elsa reached for her sword, picking up the cold steel and aiming it with one hand from her position on the ground. Her left hand was unusable, the throbbing of pain too much to grab the sword with two hands. The sword felt unbearably heavy in one hand, something she never realized during her practice with a wooden sword. She never realized how much she used both her hands to swing the sword.

The beast eyed her.

No… it was looking to her left… looking at…

Elsa looked down, her eyes widening at the sight of her left hand covered in frost. She'd somehow forgotten, somehow she had associated the pain in her left hand with the pain from the gash on her wrist. Her left hand was freezing. The ice had not spread beyond her fingers, but it was there as a layer of frost. She tried to move her fingers, finding them stiff and hard to manage. She panicked then, dropping her sword and grabbing at her hand.

"No! Please, no!" She begged, remembering the pain that came with freezing. Oh how she remembered, it was unforgettable. "Please!" She wailed, watching as the frost began to turn to ice, and the pain blossomed anew as it began to spread. She clutched her cold hand to her stomach, bending into herself to smother it and try to warm it back up. The cold of her armor offered no warmth however.

As the pain became more unbearable in her hand, she remembered something. An image of her mother's face entered her mind.

"C-conceal. Don't feel." She began. "Conceal. Don't feel." She muttered to herself like a mantra, trying to suppress her emotions, trying to store the power that she had unleashed onto herself.

She thought about her mother, thought about how it was her mother who figured out that it was her emotions that controlled the ice. It was her mother who discovered that fear would unleash it onto herself. It was her mother who realized that this was all that mattered. It didn't matter that Elsa could once create little flurries of snow to entertain herself. What mattered was that it could turn on her. So long as she had control over her emotions, it would not harm her.

She had to believe that.

"Conceal. Don't feel." She muttered.

The pain began to subside, her thoughts turning warmer as she remembered the family she would see again someday.

For some reason, Anna was standing there as well, looking overjoyed to see her.

The ice melted, her fingers becoming nimble again as she moved them about.

None of this really mattered to the beast that was now towering over her.

Elsa turned her icy blue eyes up and stared into the beast's aqua blue. Elsa, frightened, reached quickly for her sword. She grabbed it, moving to point it towards the beast. The monster growled at her attempt to defend herself and swiped the blade out of her hand with one enormous paw. The force hurt Elsa's wrist as she brought her hand back to her chest to nurse it.

Out of options, she did the only thing she could do.

"Get away!" She yelled, backing up towards Anna's body. She didn't know why she did. Maybe if she was going to die, she'd rather die with Anna by her side.

It was a… nearly romantic thought. However she knew herself better.

She backed away towards Anna because Anna had always been her protector. Anna told her that she would always protect her. Even now, Elsa clung onto that and hoped for some miracle, hoped that Anna would awaken and change. Anna could easily fell this beast if she were to change. It was not nearly the same size as Anna's transformed state.

The beast merely growled at her.

"Beast! Beast, where have you gone?!" Someone suddenly yelled.

Elsa watched as the monster's blue eyes turned to somewhere behind itself. Elsa didn't dare try and look though. She wouldn't take her eyes off of the predator that had her trapped.

"Beast! Beast where- Oh!" The voice drew closer, sounding like a female.

Elsa blinked in surprise when she saw a woman suddenly appeared, walking from behind the beast with no fear of it. In fact, if anything, she looked angry with the monstrosity.

"Where did you go?! Why did you leave me?!" She scolded the monster as though he were a child.

Elsa watched in bewilderment as the monster suddenly looked out of place, as though it wanted to run away itself. The monster with the human looking eyes gave a wave towards Elsa with his gigantic paw. A growl was the only sound it made. The brunette that had looked completely miffed with him turned their eyes to Elsa and then soon they widened in shock at the sight of her.

"Oh my! What happened?!" The brunette ran over, crouching beside Elsa and looking at her bleeding wrist. "Oh, this looks awful." She commented. Elsa watched as she ripped away a part of her long skirt and began wrapping it around her wound. Elsa flinched at the pain of having it touched, hissing through her teeth as the woman tightened a knot around it. Elsa was less focused on the pain though, more focused on the fact that the giant beast from before was still standing tall and watching.

To say Elsa was confused would be an understatement.

"Don't worry, I'm not going leave you like this. You need proper care." The girl told Elsa, her features suggesting she was the same age as Elsa or at least very close. Before Elsa could say anything, she turned to the monstrosity that stood in front of them and threw out a command. "Beast, help me." She told him.

Elsa nearly had a heart attack as the giant monster moved closer.

"He's not going to hurt you." The woman said soothingly, though Elsa found it hard to take her word for it.

With surprisingly care and slow movements, the monstrosity did in fact get closer and bend down to help Elsa to her feet. Once on her feet she backed away though, still wary and frightened.

"Oh good, you can walk." The woman said.

Elsa said nothing, though she did let out a yelp as she almost tripped over something. She looked down and realized that she had backed up into Anna's unconscious body that laid in the snow.

"Anna." Elsa said to herself as she bent down. Just to comfort herself, she felt at Anna's cheeks, felt the warmth and knew she was alive.

"Oh. Oh god there's more injured. Beast!" The woman called.

With a low rumble that reverberated through the monster's chest, the giant thing walked over towards Elsa and bent down to touch at Anna.

"Don't you touch her!" Elsa yelled, venom in her voice.

"Hold on! He's not going to hurt her. Just calm down." The woman tried.

The beast grumbled and shoved Elsa aside, sending her to the ground.

"You don't have to be rough with him!" The woman scolded.

The beast ignored her, picking up both Anna and Milo and tossing them over his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Elsa questioned, forcing herself to stand, nearly crying out as she exerted a small bit of force on her left hand to help herself stand. The beast ignored her and turned to walk away. "Where are you going?!" She yelled.

The woman from before entered her vision as the beast stalked off with her friends. "It's okay. We're here to help." The woman told her with a sincere smile.

Elsa realized partly that she had no choice but to follow the monster. She couldn't fight it and it had her friends. She looked to the woman with her who also began to follow the beast. Elsa was quick to pick up her sword as she hurried to catch up.

She did not sheath it upon catching up.

"Who are you?" Elsa questioned the woman. She didn't trust that monstrosity for one minute, but the girl seemed to have some control over it.

The brunette with the blue ribbon in her hair merely turned towards Elsa with a smile as she walked. "I'm Belle."

The name sounded familiar, yet Elsa couldn't place just where she'd heard it. Elsa followed the brunette closely, staying at her side while she stared at the beast that walked ahead of them. She looked at both Milo and Anna who were thrown over the beast's shoulders.

"Are you… do you control it?" Elsa asked.

Belle gave Elsa a small glare. "_He_ is not an _it_. I understand his appearance can be… intimidating. But he's a good man." Belle told her defensively.

Elsa was instantly reminded of the way she would defend Anna when people spoke out of turn about her. She almost apologized, almost thought to tell her that she had not meant any offense. However, she looked to the monster in front of her and it was all she could see.

What man was there to be found?

As Elsa walked on, a nagging voice spoke in the back of her mind. It told her that she once saw Anna the same way.

There was a silence as they walked. Elsa's boots making loud crunches in the snow. Elsa looked at her injured arm, stared at the fabric wrapped around it. She wondered if such a nasty wound would ever heal properly. Then her thoughts turned to the fabric, and soon turned to the woman beside her. She was a woman who did not hesitate to rip her skirt to help alleviate Elsa's pain. It made Elsa wonder what she was doing outside in a skirt when they were in early winter. The thought was dismissed however, it was not like she had not seen women wearing long skirts back at home during winter. Elsa had no right to judge, seeing as she could wear less and not feel the icy chill of winter unless it was absurdly cold. Elsa usually did not feel the cold even when bare skinned unless it was a cold winter's night. Even now, fully clothed, the cold night did not bother her.

She already knew the reason for this, her ice granting her a sort of… affinity with the cold. Still, she was not immune.

Belle did not attempt any conversation with Elsa as they walked. Elsa also did not say anything, worried that the girl may still be mad with her about what she said. The beast ahead of them of course had nothing to say. There was only silence and the crunch of snow as they walked. Eventually though, after much walking, they did reach their destination. Elsa spotted an old looking cabin ahead of them, the thing looking as though it were built decades ago. Still, it was large and looked sturdy and warm. The beast walked up to the cabin and pushed open the door. Elsa watched as he had trouble getting his large frame inside, yet somehow managed.

Belle was just about to walk in when Elsa decided to speak up.

"I…" She began, making Belle stop and turn to her. "I'm sorry about what I said. I shouldn't have said that the way I did. I know about people judging others because of their looks." Elsa finally said, looking down at the snow as she apologized. The nagging voice in her mind had lasted the entire walk and would not go away until she apologized. If this woman was really here to help, then Elsa should have at least thanked her. "I also want to thank you… for sending your friend to help us." Elsa finished.

Elsa looked up to see Belle smiling with perfectly white teeth. "No offense taken. Though," She began. "I did not send him to do anything. He rushed off on his own. He must have heard something I didn't. He does have good hearing." Belle explained. "Now, come in and out of the cold. Let's have a look at you." Belle said kindly, stepping into the cabin.

Elsa really didn't know how things had come to this, her about to walk into a cabin with some random stranger and the one she called Beast. She was without a horse and Anna and Milo would need assistance before long. She knew she would have to hope these people really could and would help.

Elsa sheathed her blade before entering the cabin.

The inside of the cabin was just as large as it looked on the outside. It was also warm, a fire in the fireplace providing this. There was a bookshelf with books in the living room, a kitchen area, and an actual dining room that was not just a part of the kitchen or living room. There were two beds, both of them large enough to fit three or possibly even four people in them. It was a nice home to have, one that seemed to cater to everything you would need.

Maybe she only thought so because she was a peasant with a modest home.

Elsa watched as the beast put both Milo and Anna in the same bed, both of them still unmoving, but most importantly they were breathing. His hulking form being so careful as he set them down was unexpected… but welcome. Belle, the girl who dared to brave winter with a long skirt instead of pants, walked Elsa over to the living room. She placed Elsa in a seat near the fireplace, telling her to warm up. The girl went off again, searching for something. Elsa turned her eyes back to the bed that held her friends. The beast was removing Milo's armor. She was surprised he had not just ripped it apart and instead went for strap after strap. Belle eventually returned with a roll of bandages and a bucket of water with a cloth hanging off of it.

"Let's get you fixed up right." Belle smiled at her.

Before Belle could begin to unwrap the temporary bandage she had wrapped before, Elsa spoke up. "Please," She began. "I am fine. My friends could use your attention more. They were… injured in battle." Elsa tried explaining, not wanting to go into the specifics.

Belle looked over towards the two in question and saw the way Beast hovered around them, unsure of what to do. She gave a small nod and picked up her items she brought over.

"Alright. But you stay here, you need to warm up, you were practically frozen when I helped you earlier." Belle told her before making her way across the room.

Elsa, having knowledge that Belle didn't, knew that she must have felt the remnants of the ice that tried to take over Elsa's hand. Elsa wouldn't bother telling her that she was immune to most cold and that the only cold she feared was her own. No, instead Elsa looked into the fire that was supposed to be keeping her warm. Once again she was already feeling pleasant in the ways of temperature before she entered the cabin. She wasn't sure, perhaps it was just less cold today, but Elsa almost thought she was getting more and more immune to the cold. She hardly noticed the weather the day she went to save Anna in nothing but a shirt and trousers. She often went outside to train with Milo with only one or two thin shirts and her armor. The day she went to see the gypsy, she was positive that she wore what others might wear in spring or summer. Where as Anna had the excuse of her… beast blood in her veins that gave her some small immunity to the cold, requiring her to wear just a little less than others, Elsa still dressed her in cloaks and thick clothes to keep her warm. Elsa had no such excuse as not being completely human. She only had her power, a power that seemed to grow the more she used it. It was the only explanation she had. She'd always been less inclined to feel cold, but even she remembered dressing thickly for winter as a child and as an adult. It wasn't until she began using her powers more that the need to dress for winter became unneeded.

Just what was she becoming?

Elsa thought more on the matter, eyes staring into the fire. Soon though, her vision was obscured by the sight of animal like paws and legs walking in front of her. She looked up to see the mighty beast and all his huge glory as he walked past her and took a seat in a chair that also faced the fire. They were feet apart now, Elsa doing her best not to stare, but failing. She noticed that he did in fact wear a cape of some kind that wrapped around his upper body. Surprisingly he wore pants as well, pants that had been ripped somewhat from being stretched on his huge frame. She found that strange, wondering why a monster would wear human clothing. Anna had not wanted to wear the clothing, Elsa basically having to force her to wear it. Perhaps Belle had forced him, she did seem to have some control over him.

The thought provoked a new thought, one that she felt stupid for not thinking of before. Perhaps this man was some sort of Half-Beast and Belle was in a situation similar to her own. She examined the beast more, trying not to look suspicious as she did so. He didn't really _look_ like an animal she might see outside. Anna's people seemed to take on animal forms, only altered in weird ways such as having extra horns or eyes. Anna herself was some sort of giant canine with whips on her back to defend herself and rows of sharp teeth. Elsa also realized that he was bipedal, something not often found in the animal kingdom. He had horns, a thick mane, claws and a huge chest. He didn't look like any animal Elsa could think of. Maybe he was some sort of ape with a _lot _of new features.

"You stare a lot, cursed one."

Elsa's eyes widened as she saw the beast's mouth move.

"W-what?"

Aqua colored eyes turned to her. "It is rude." He growled.

Elsa was shocked to say the least. "You can talk."

He growled again, eyes looking to her with anger. "And what did you expect? A monster? To be torn limb from limb the moment I walked over?" He accused.

Elsa shrunk a bit in her seat as he guessed exactly what she thought.

"No." She lied very unconvincingly.

He made a gruff noise and turned back to the fire.

Elsa was silent, her eyes back on the fire. Occasionally she would turn to look towards Belle. The girl was still cleaning the blood off of both Milo and Anna, though right now she was focusing on Anna. Elsa could see on her face that Belle was shocked to see her, perhaps not really taking notice of Anna's features until now. Still, despite Anna's appearance, Belle worked diligently to help her. Elsa's eyes wandered back to the fire eventually, but soon they were looking toward the beast that sat in the chair that was just a bit too small for his frame. Elsa began to truly wonder if he really was some sort of Half-Beast. He was capable of speech, something she knew they were capable of as well. Still, if he was, what was he doing way out here, away from the forest where Elsa met them.

Elsa might have asked, but he gave her another look and a rough growl that sent her eyes back to the fire.

Elsa must have sat and pretended to be interested in warming up for nearly ten minutes before she gained the courage to stand. The beast looked her way, but she ignored him, favoring instead to walk over towards Belle. She could feel his eyes burning into her even as she walked away.

When Elsa made it over to Belle, she saw that the girl was in the process of bandaging Anna's wounds.

"Hi." The word felt unnecessary, but Elsa didn't know what to say now that she was here. Belle gave her a small smile before going back to her work. Elsa wet her lips as she looked back at the beast, just to make sure he was not about to charge over and murder her.

He was looking back to the fire.

Elsa turned back to Belle. One look at Anna was enough to spark a question in her mind. "Will she… be alright?" Elsa asked, scared to ask, scared of an answer that would shatter her world.

Belle gave a nod. "She'll be fine. If she's anything like Beast, these wounds will mean nothing in time." Belle said with assurance.

Elsa suddenly felt a bit of anger. "She's not like… your friend." She almost called him a monster.

Belle gave another nod. "Still, she seems strong. I don't think this will keep her down for long. I'm sure doctors could do a better job than me, but for now, I'm sure I can patch her up long enough to see a real doctor. If I don't… well…" Belle left it out there, letting Elsa know that Anna's life was basically in her hands since she had no means of getting to a doctor right now.

Elsa took the information in silence, her eyes drifting to Anna's slumbering face. She tried to wonder what it would be like if Anna's eyes stayed forever shut.

The strikingly powerful image was enough to twist her face into a sad grimace that came with an ache of pain in her chest.

"I thank you then." Elsa said, realizing just how much she needed to rely on this woman and her… friend now. She couldn't afford another slip up and insult the woman or her friend. She looked to Milo who was still dirty with blood, though his armor had been removed. "Will my other friend be okay?" She questioned.

Belle turned her eyes towards him for a moment before looking back to the bandage she was wrapping around Anna's arm. A cut, clearly one made by a sword, had slashed down her arm. The entire upper arm would need to be wrapped.

"I'm unsure. I haven't had a chance to look at him yet." Then Belle turned her eyes to Elsa. "If you are fit enough, I could use some help." That got Elsa to look back towards Belle. "Would you finish wrapping the wounds here while I take a look at your other friend." She questioned.

Elsa gave a nod. She had some small experience in wrapping wounds, having done so with her brothers when they got a little too rough when playing with friends. She took over Belle's duty as the woman walked over with her bucket and wash cloth to wipe the blood from Milo's body before wrapping his wounds. Elsa was staring at Anna's wounds as she wrapped her arm. She had been cut in several places by swords and stabbed by spears. It hurt Elsa to see, but at the same time, she was just glad that Anna had survived it.

"Would I be too invasive if I asked how this all happened?" Belle questioned softly, not pushing for more information, but she was obviously curious.

Elsa only shook her head. "I wish I could tell you. I don't even know." Elsa told her. Belle assumed nothing else would be said and went back to cleaning. Elsa however needed someone to talk to after everything that happened. "I wasn't there… I abandoned them when they needed me." Elsa admitted, the words like acid that burned away at her.

Belle gave a look, but said nothing. Elsa would continue anyway.

"I could have helped them. I'm nothing special. Maybe we would all be injured even if I had been there. But I could have suffered some of it for them." Elsa said as she finished wrapping Anna's arm. She reached for more bandages, beginning to work on Anna's midsection that had been cut. She lifted up her shirt for easier access and began to wrap the bandages.

"You came back for them though." Belle guessed, figuring it had to be the case considering they were with her now.

Elsa scoffed, upset with herself, not Belle. "Yeah, after they were near dead. If you and your friend had not come along, we would have been food for the wolves." She didn't bother to admit that they also would have likely bled out with how slow Elsa had to move while walking the horse.

Belle gave a small smile, her eyes still trained on her attendant. "It's a good thing we went on a stroll to see the stars then." Belle told her. When Elsa had nothing else to say, seeming to wallow in more self pity, Belle decided on a question that she had been dying to ask. "So… your friend… is she like Beast?" Belle questioned.

Elsa looked up. "Beast? Your friend?" Elsa wondered why the woman would call him that when she took so much offense when Elsa referred to him as an 'it' earlier.

"Yes."

Elsa looked to the creature that occupied a seat in front the fireplace. "I'm not sure what your friend is." Elsa said, hoping she wasn't being offensive. "Anna is from the black forest. She's known as a Half-Beast." Elsa explained.

Belle chuckled a bit. "Surely you jest. A Half-Beast? Like the bards sing?" Belle questioned. When she saw Elsa only nod, she realized that that she was serious. "Oh… I assumed it to be a myth, just a tale to scare children." Belle said, but it was hard to deny when Anna was so close to her.

Elsa merely made a noise to agree. She was having a little bit of trouble wrapping Anna's stomach, the tendrils from her back were hanging down and in the way. She had to lift Anna and move her tendrils by hand in order to continue her job.

Belle decided to continue. "Well she certainly isn't like Beast then." Belle said.

Elsa gave a quick look towards the one called Beast before looking back to Anna and continuing her work. "And what is… Beast like?" She questioned, wary of using a name that sounded like it held so much offense.

Belle worried her bottom lip for a moment. "I don't know if he'd want me to tell you. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just say… he's not from this country." Belle told her, the girl seeming to worry if she was giving too much information already.

Elsa heard the sound of a chair in agony, the sounds of Beast getting up from a chair that was much too small for him. He lumbered over to the two of them, eyeing Elsa the entire time.

"I was once part of the southern Isles. If this is a problem _knight_, then speak and let us get this issue over with." The Beast spoke, obviously having heard them.

Elsa had shrunk away a bit in fear, though at the term 'knight' she looked confused.

"I am no knight." This was the second time that someone had mistaken her for one.

"Captain?" Beast questioned.

Elsa gave a shake of her head. "I am just a soldier."

Beast subtly sniffed the air before folding his arms. Suddenly, his presence seemed easier to be in. He loss much of the intimidating air around him, but not all of it. She wondered what settled him down.

"Since when are women allowed into the military? Has Arendelle sunken so low?" He questioned.

Elsa's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"You're not a man?" Belle questioned, looking just as shocked.

"I-I am a man. I know not what you are getting at." Elsa told him, not really knowing why she was trying to fool them.

"Men don't smell like you do." He told her. Elsa went to say something else, but he cut her off. "I don't care for your gender. I merely wished to know if my old status as a man of The Southern Isles was a problem." He finished.

Elsa looked away, wondering how he could _smell _that she was a woman.

"I only care about my friends right now." Elsa told him. It was the truth. She didn't care if he once belonged to the enemy. He was not attacking her now and seemed to be helping.

"Good answer." He responded.

And that was that.

He went back to his chair and made it scream as he settled into it. Belle looked at him for a moment before looking back to Elsa.

"I guess I see it now… I thought you were just a handsome knight. But this makes more sense." Belle said, her eyes scanning Elsa's face.

Elsa said nothing, continuing to wrap Anna's wound as best she could. It was silent after that, the two working to patch up Anna and Milo. Belle gave her the good news as she was wrapping Milo's stomach, letting Elsa know that she believed he would live. Elsa thanked her again for what she was doing. They eventually finished up, Belle coming over to help Elsa more with the bandaging, seeing as she finished cleaning and bandaging Milo. Anna had more wounds, many more to cover. Elsa ended up blushing when Belle insisted that they would need to take Anna's shirt off to get to the wounds on her chest. Elsa blush only lasted for so long however. It was hard to be embarrassed about seeing your friends chest when it there was a long gash right between her breasts. It was only a reminder of the fact that she failed Anna.

With Belle's help, Anna was bandaged and soon Belle was working on giving Elsa a proper bandage for the wound on her left wrist and right arm where the wolves had bitten her.

Belle decided to speak up as she tied the final knot to a bandage.

"So you are a soldier? I must say, I assumed you to be a knight as well. Your armor isn't something I've seen everyday." Belle told her.

Elsa realized now, after Belle and the girl from the villager had mistaken her for a knight, that her armor was different. Most soldiers wore the same thing, a simple breastplate and helmet, perhaps some armor for the knees and arms, but that was it. It mostly looked the same. Elsa's armor looked like it was made for her, something that only knights got special treatment for. Perhaps some higher ranks in the military did too, Elsa wasn't sure.

"I'm just a soldier… a weak one at that." Elsa admitted, the shame of her failure being something she couldn't hide. "I can't even protect them even though I'm… different." She was talking about her ice. Anna's strip of blonde hair was now a constant reminder that she couldn't control her own power.

She could have frozen Anna if she had not quickly finished off Gaston. It was clear to her that Anna had been caught up in the icy chill that surrounded Elsa as she froze Gaston. She had not controlled it, had not kept Anna away from its clutches. Now Anna had been permanently marked… and who knows what it could mean. For all she knew, Anna could be cursed like her now.

Anna could freeze one day.

"If it wasn't for you, they'd be dead." Belle spoke up. Elsa looked to her and the woman quickly explained herself. "I mean, you were caring for them right? If not for you, who knows what would have happened." Truthfully Belle had no idea what had happened, but she was hoping to comfort the poor blonde who looked like she needed more than just a hug right now.

Elsa looked back down, Belle having finished tying the knot on her wrist. Belle gestured to her right arm and Elsa held it up, Belle beginning to wrap it as well.

"If I had only been there to help them… then they might not be so hurt. I left them when they needed me." Elsa began again, her sorrow not so easily remedied by Belle's words. "I could have done something. I could have helped. It wouldn't have been much, but I could have been an extra body to take the pain for them."

Belle made a noise in her throat. "If you guys are truly friends, I'm sure they wouldn't feel the same. I'm sure they are just glad to have you help them now. They wouldn't want to see you hurt as well." She told Elsa.

Elsa thought about that, thought about the look on Anna's face the day that Elsa took her arm back and cut herself on Anna's claws. She remembered the rage that consumed Anna when the enemy tried to hurt her that day, the way she clawed at the man that stabbed her shoulder. Belle may have had a small point. Anna would likely always choose to keep Elsa out of harms way if she knew Elsa would be hurt. Still, she remembered the way Anna kept questioning why Elsa would not fight with her. Clearly she should have been there for Anna, it must have been something Anna wanted.

As for Milo, her only other friend besides Anna, she could have likely saved him from the wound that Anna surely gave him. Anna would have listened to her. She would not have hurt Milo if Elsa had been there to intervene. Her friends were hurt because of her and that was all there was to it.

Belle watched Elsa's face fall and realized that she had not gotten through to her.

Belle would go on to finish wrapping Elsa's wound. She gave the blonde space, seeing as Elsa seemed to need it and Belle did not know the entire situation and therefore she feared doing more harm than good with her words. She told Elsa to rest, told her she could have both of the beds. Elsa was too deep in her thoughts to protest. Belle left her with her venomous thoughts that attacked her and told her she was a failure. Elsa didn't even know when she fell asleep. One moment she was sitting and watching Anna, wishing for her thoughts to silence, and the next she was asleep.

She dreamed of a life where she never came back to Arendelle… she dreamed of a time where Anna took her to live on their own in the forest. Anna would hunt for them while Elsa took care of the garden, growing them vegetables to eat. When Anna came home in the dream, she smiled happily at Elsa as she held up a freshly killed rabbit. Elsa merely gave a smile back while Anna walked over to watch her water the garden.

It was… peaceful.


End file.
